According to
the proposition presented to the Parliament, the Ministry of Environment
regards the WFD as a useful tool to promote protection and sustainable use
of Norwegian waters.
Norway chose to
start the implementation of the WFD in 2007 with a first voluntary planning
period, to catch up with the first phase of the EU implementation
schedule. In this voluntary introductory phase, 30 sub-districts have been
selected, distributed throughout all the nine national River Basin
Districts (RBDs). (Norway also shares international river basins with
Sweden and Finland). The purpose of division into sub-districts is to
establish appropriate and manageable units for implementation of the WFD at
the local level:
-
W
orking
groups have been established for each of the 29
sub-districts.
-
All
water bodies within the sub-districts have been characterised,
and
-
programmes for monitoring
have been initiated.
-
Public
consultation on the work programmes for each RBD was conducted in
2007.
-
R
eports
on Significant Water Management Issues (SWMI) were presented for public
consultation early in 2008.
-
The
River Basin Management Plans (RBMPs), including Programmes of Measures
for each RBD, will be consulted with stakeholders and the public during
the first half of 2009.
The
implementation of the WFD in the remaining sub-districts (approximately
220) will be carried out from 2010. This work will start out with
characterisation and classification to determine the status of the water
bodies and the establishment of monitoring programmes. RBD work programmes
will be drawn up and published for public consultation by the end of 2012,
while the reports on significant water management issues will be available
for consultation one year later. RBMPs including Programmes of Measures
will be send out for public hearing in the end of 2014.
(22.07.2009 Oppdatert: 23.07.2009)