The EAA advocates for strong enforcement of the Water Framework Directive to safeguard water quality, river connectivity and sustainable fisheries management.

Water Framework Directive

Purpose

Adopted in 2000, the EU Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC) is the cornerstone of European freshwater protection. It established an ambitious, integrated approach to restoring and safeguarding rivers, lakes and groundwater, with the clear objective of achieving good ecological and chemical status across Europe.

Current status

More than twenty years later, Europe’s waters are under greater pressure than ever. Climate change, prolonged droughts, emerging pollutants, habitat fragmentation and increasing water abstraction were not fully foreseen when the Directive was developed. While the WFD has proven its value and remains legally sound, most EU waters still fail to meet its objectives. Repeated delays have pushed the deadline to 2027, largely due to weak enforcement, insufficient funding and competing sectoral interests.

Outlook & EAA position

As the final WFD deadline approaches, Europe’s freshwater policy stands at a critical crossroads. The European Anglers Alliance calls for full and strict implementation of the Water Framework Directive, alongside the political will to adapt its application to today’s environmental realities. Weakening existing safeguards would further endanger fish stocks, biodiversity and the angling experience. EAA will continue to advocate at EU level for healthy waters, free fish migration and resilient freshwater ecosystems — for anglers today and future generations.

Related EAA Positions, Resolutions & Updates

For further reading, see the full Positions & Resolutions and News overview.

Positions & Resolutions

2024

LRE Joint Position: Adapting to the climate and water crisis

Ahead of the European elections, the European Anglers Alliance (EAA), as part of the Living Rivers Europe coalition, supports a joint call for urgent action to address Europe’s climate and water crises. Living Rivers Europe brings together environmental NGOs including European Environmental Bureau, WWF, Wetlands International, The Nature Conservancy, and EAA.

Climate change is increasingly felt through water extremes—droughts, floods, heatwaves and water scarcity – exposing decades of river fragmentation, ecosystem degradation and unsustainable water use. A water-resilient Europe requires a fundamental shift in how water is valued and managed, prioritising river restoration and nature-based solutions over new grey infrastructure, with a stronger EU role in coordination, enforcement and climate adaptation.

Joint position paper for a water resilient Europe

Our asks – at a glance:

Full implementation of the EU Green Deal >> Deliver a resilient Europe by mitigating climate change, halting biodiversity loss and reducing resource use, including water. This includes the urgent adoption and ambitious implementation of the EU Nature Restoration Law, with National Restoration Plans used to strengthen nature-based climate adaptation.
A new Water and Climate Resilience Law >> Establish legally binding requirements for EU Natural Water Reserves to protect critical water resources and catchments in water-stressed areas, supported by adequate EU funding. This should include an EU Sponge Facility, restoration of floodplains, rivers and wetlands, and basin-level water efficiency and abstraction targets covering all sectors.
Full enforcement of the Water Framework Directive >> Strengthen implementation by increasing the European Commission’s legal and enforcement capacity,
Climate adaptation proofing of EU policies >> Subject all new EU legislative and non-legislative acts to independent scientific screening by a dedicated Climate Adaptation Panel, ensuring climate resilience is embedded across water- and land-use policies.
End harmful EU subsidies >> Phase out EU funding for activities that damage river morphology, water quality, natural water retention, soils and groundwater, and redirect investment towards restoration and resilience.

Downloads:

EAA_Climate-and-water-crisis-report_web-FINAL.pdf

2022

Nature Restoration Law (NRL)

The European Anglers Alliance (EAA) is part of the Living Rivers Europe (LRE) coalition, together with leading European environmental organisations. Through this coalition, EAA advocates for ambitious, legally binding river restoration targets that address the severe degradation of Europe’s freshwater ecosystems.

Freshwater habitats are among the most damaged ecosystems in Europe, with widespread river fragmentation and declining biodiversity undermining water quality, climate resilience and fish populations. The proposed EU Nature Restoration Law represents a critical opportunity to reverse these trends by restoring river connectivity and scaling up barrier removal. However, given the scale and urgency of freshwater degradation, stronger targets, clearer priorities and adequate funding are needed to ensure meaningful and timely restoration outcomes.

This is a joint statement by the Living Rivers Europe (LRE) coalition, bringing together the European Anglers Alliance (EAA), the European Environmental Bureau, the European Rivers Network, The Nature Conservancy, Wetlands International and WWF.

Together, we urge the European Parliament and the Council, acting as co-legislators on the EU Nature Restoration Law, to:

Raise the barrier removal target to 15% of EU river length (178,000 km) restored to a free-flowing state by 2030 and make it legally binding;
Remove the highlight given to exemptions to the Water Framework Directive and TEN-T regulation to ensure proper implementation.
Ask Member States to prioritise barrier removals according to the ecological potential of the removal, in particular the connectivity between marine and freshwater ecosystems.
Ask Member States to include in their national restoration plans a description of the simplification of procedures and skill-building measures necessary to enable river restoration projects to be carried out efficiently and with
Increase the intermediary percentage targets laid out in Article 4 for the restoration and re-establishment of areas and the restoration of habitats of species, and shorten the timeline for reaching 100%, as this article also covers some freshwater ecosystems and those restoration actions would also complement the action on river connectivity.
Call on the European institutions to expand the EU financing support available for free-flowing river restoration in addition to the sources identified in the EU Guidance on barrier removal for river restoration, for example, through the establishment of dedicated funding for nature restoration, pursuant to the mid-term review of the Multiannual Financial Framework.

Downloads:

EAA_FINAL-LRE-briefing-freshwater-NRL.pdf

NEWS

4 December 2025

Water Framework Directive

Water Framework Directive

Related EAA Positions, Resolutions & Updates

Positions & Resolutions

NEWS

European Commission’s reckless move risks derailing water protections

PRESS RELEASE – Industry’s role in water resilience: how some lead – and others wreck

PRESS RELEASE – EU Environment Ministers push for enforcement of water rules yet ignore sustainable use

EAA unites with other organisations for healthy waters in front of European Parliament

EAA co-creates legal analysis on barrier removal for healthier rivers

EAA signs open letter calling for swift adoption of updated EU water pollution standards