Environmental quality standards for water and the long road towards achieving good chemical status for surface water

Henrik Josefsson

Chapter 12 in Research Handbook on EU Water Law, 2026, pp 209-233 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: The Water Framework Directive (WFD) serves as a cornerstone of EU environmental policy, aiming to achieve good ecological and chemical status for surface waters. Central to this Directive are Environmental Quality Standards (EQSs), which function as critical reference values for achieving good chemical status. This chapter provides an in-depth analysis of EQSs under the WFD and the Environmental Quality Standards Directive (EQSD), and it covers their legal significance, development processes, implementation challenges, derogations, and future perspectives. Through a qualitative assessment of the regulatory landscape that governs water EQS, this chapter explores the role of such standards in achieving the overarching objective of the WFD.

Keywords: Water Framework Directive; Environmental Quality Standards Directive; Environmental quality standards; Chemical status of surface water; Derogations; Regulatory compliance (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781035336425
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