Several directives and other documents have been adopted at the level of the European Union. “Water is a basic condition for the life of people, animals and plants, as well as for the economy. The protection of water and its management must not stop at the national border” (Kurrer, 2021, spletna stran).
From the point of view of the discussed topic, among the most important is Directive 2000/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2000 on establishing a framework for Community measures in the field of water policy (Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council, website).
The goal of the directive is to prevent and reduce pollution, promote sustainable water use, protect the water environment, etc. (Kurrer, 2021, website). The directive is taken into account in Slovenian legislation (e.g. in the Water Act, in the Construction Act).
In the introduction, the directive states that water is not like other marketable products but is a heritage that must be protected. It is necessary to develop an integrated Community water policy. Given that the situation in the Community is diverse, this should be considered when planning and implementing measures to ensure the protection and sustainable use of water within the catchment area; decisions should be made as close as possible to the places where the water is affected or used. The protection and sustainable management of water should be included in other policy areas, such as: energy, transport, agriculture, fisheries, regional policy and tourism. The purpose of the directive is to contribute to the reduction of emissions of hazardous substances into water.
Member States should define waters withdrawn for drinking water and ensure compliance with Council Directive 80/778/EEC of 15 July 1980 on the quality of water intended for human consumption. It is necessary to prevent or reduce the impact of events in which water (by accident)(Fotogalerij.dz-rs.si , 2021).
Within EU policy, two main legal frameworks for the protection and management of freshwater and marine resources have been created based on an ecosystem and holistic approach. These are the Water Framework Directive and the Marine Strategy Framework Directive.
The EU Water Framework Directive established a framework for the protection of inland surface waters, brackish water, coastal seas and groundwater. Its goal is to prevent and reduce pollution, promote sustainable water use, protect the aquatic environment, improve the condition of aquatic ecosystems, and mitigate the consequences of floods and droughts. The overall goal is to achieve good environmental status for all waters. Therefore, the member states must prepare so-called river basin management plans and dedicated programs of measures to achieve these goals based on natural geographical basins.
The Marine Strategy Framework Directive is the environmental pillar of the EU’s integrated maritime policy to promote the sustainable development of the maritime economy and protect the marine environment. The purpose of this directive was to achieve good environmental status of EU marine waters by 2020, to continue to protect and preserve them, and to prevent their deterioration. In the directive, European sea regions (Baltic Sea, North-East Atlantic, Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea) and sub-regions are defined within the geographical boundaries established by conventions on regional seas. To achieve good environmental status by 2020, member states had to draw up a strategy for their marine waters, which was to be reviewed every six years. The regulation on the integrated management of coastal zones defines the principles of prudent planning and management of coastal zones, which the member states should follow.
We know three main sources of pollution: industry, agriculture and households. Industry uses a quarter of the pumped water. The processing industry pollutes water with toxic substances and heavy metals, mining and construction with sediments and acids, and food production with organic substances. Because in the energy industry, water is used for cooling thermal power plants and nuclear power plants, and the heated water is discharged back to the source, the temperature of the water rises. Agriculture is the largest consumer of water, consuming two-thirds of all water used, and polluting it with residues of mineral fertilizers, pesticides and natural manure. Due to household use, a higher level of organic and inorganic pollution (phosphorus) (PRIMAVODA, 2015).
