Seventh Report of Session 2008-09 - European Scrutiny Committee Contents


7 Water scarcity and droughts

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17586/08

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COM(08) 875

Follow-up Report to the Commission Communication on water scarcity and droughts in the European Union

Legal base
Document originated19 December 2008
Deposited in Parliament13 January 2009
DepartmentEnvironment, Food and Rural Affairs
Basis of considerationEM of 27 January 2009
Previous Committee ReportNone, but see footnote 14
To be discussed in CouncilNo date set
Committee's assessmentPolitically important
Committee's decisionCleared

Background

7.1 According to the Commission, water scarcity (where demand exceeds exploitable resources under sustainable conditions) and droughts (arising from a temporary decrease in water availability) have now emerged as a major challenge for the Community, affecting both households and industries, and are likely to be exacerbated by climate change. It therefore put forward in July 2007 a Communication[14] setting out an initial set of policy options at European, national and regional levels.

7.2 This identified a number of specific challenges, including the full implementation of the Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC); ineffective water pricing policies; inadequate land use planning; realising the potential for water saving, and identifying priorities for water use; integrating water-related concerns into relevant sectoral policies; and the provision of high quality knowledge and information on the extent of the challenge. The Communication went on to highlight a number of future policy orientations, notably putting the right price tag on water; the efficient allocation of water and water-related funding (through improved land-use planning and financing water efficiency); improved drought risk management (through the development of management plans and of an early warning system, together with use of the Solidarity Fund and the European Mechanism for Civil Protection); additional water supply infrastructure; fostering water efficient technologies and practices; fostering a water-saving culture in Europe; and improved knowledge and data collection (involving a European water scarcity and drought information system, and research and technological development).

7.3 In our Report of 17 October 2007, we noted that that the UK broadly supported the objectives of the Communication, and already had a well developed policy framework for water supply, based on demand management and the development of sustainable resources. It also supported action on land use planning, and the removal of Community subsidies which encourage water intensive crops; would be fully implementing the Water Framework Directive on the required time-scale; and supported in principle the Commission's proposals for fostering water performance technologies and practices, and a water-saving culture (adding that the costs and benefits of any specific proposals needed to be explored further).

7.4 On the other hand, the Government believed that the Communication was in some respects too firmly against the development of new water resources, and that an overly rigid approach might not make it possible to bring on new sources of supply to the required timescales. Likewise, it believed that the development of a European Drought Observatory would need a robust cost benefit analysis, and that the Commission should explore the potential for using existing organisations instead. The Government also summarised the water charging arrangements already in place in the various parts of the UK.

The current document

7.5 The current document is a follow-up report summarising developments since the earlier Communication, and does so under the following policy headings which were highlighted in it:

PUTTING THE RIGHT PRICE TAG ON WATER

The Commission notes that Member States have a commitment to deliver by 2010 water pricing policies providing adequate incentives to use water resources efficiently, and it comments on the action taken to implement greater levels of metering and to set tariffs consistent with the level of scarcity at local level, the season and/or levels of consumption. It also assesses the effectiveness of different types of tariff in water stress areas, noting the UK's approach in the south-east of England.

EFFICIENT ALLOCATION OF WATER AND WATER-RELATED FUNDING

Improved land-use planning

The Commission notes the proposal, is part of the "health check" of the Common Agricultural Policy to add a water quantity test to cross-compliance by means of the Good Agricultural and Environmental Conditions regime, and says that it will assess which water quality related obligations will result from the Water Framework Directive as part of the post-2013 discussions on the CAP. It also says that specific sustainability criteria for the development of biofuel crops, including the use of water, are being discussed by the Council, adding that its proposal for a new Directive on Renewable Energy contains an incentive to develop biofuels based on waste residues and other non-agricultural feedstock, thus reducing the pressure for water; that Member States most affected in the past by water scarcity and droughts have made efforts to identify those river basins facing quasi-permanent or permanent scarcity, commenting on the UK's' review of abstraction authorisations; and that, although there are a few examples of good practice, there is overall a lack of evidence that Member States are fully integrating land use challenges into their water management decisions.

Financing water efficiency

The Commission notes that proposals for improving the financing of water efficiency have been made within the CAP "health check", the climate and renewable energy package, the Green Paper on adapting to climate change, and the possible revision of the Community's strategic guidelines on cohesion 2007-13, noting that the budget review and discussion on future financial perspectives will provide additional opportunities to address water supply issues. It also comments on actions by Member States to develop fiscal incentives for the promotion of water efficient devices and practices, and refers to the UK's scheme to enable businesses to claim enhanced capital allowances for investment in water efficient technologies and equipment.

IMPROVING DROUGHT RISK MANAGEMENT

Developing drought risk management plans

The Report comments on recommendations by a European network of experts on the need to develop operational drought management plans in order to efficiently prevent and mitigate drought impacts, with the UK being cited as an example of where this is already in place.

Developing an observatory and early warning system on droughts

The Report provides an update on the development of the Commission's Joint Research Centre's observatory and early warning system, noting that a first prototype is currently being tested, and that from 2009-10 it should be possible to enable an annual European assessment of the incidence of drought to be made.

ADDITIONAL WATER SUPPLY INFRASTRUCTURES

The Commission suggests that, in regions where all cost-effective prevention measures have been implemented, and where demand still exceeds availability, additional water supply infrastructure can be identified as a possible way of mitigating the impacts of severe drought, with the selection of the most appropriate option being based on a full impact assessment. However, it also notes that many supply options would increase energy consumption.

FOSTERING WATER EFFICIENT TECHNOLOGIES AND PRACTICES

The Commission says that it is launching a study to assess the scope for developing specific standards for water-using devices, including farm equipment, and it refers to the work which the UK is doing to review its regulations on minimum performance requirements and maximum levels of water use for water-using appliances and fittings. It also notes the action plan on Sustainable Consumption and Production and Sustainable Industrial Production, including the proposal to widen the Ecodesign Directive to cover all energy-related products, such as water using devices whose consumption influences the energy needed for heating; and it points out that, on the basis of the experience gained with the Directive on Energy Performance of Buildings, it is launching a study to consider the need for a similar measure on the water performance of buildings.

FOSTERING A WATER-SAVING CULTURE IN EUROPE

The Report notes the crucial role of civil society in developing a water-saving and efficiency culture, and comments on a European level initiative on the development of European water awareness and water stewardship programmes.

IMPROVED KNOWLEDGE AND DATA COLLECTION.

European water scarcity and drought information system

The Report refers to a Community initiative within the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) land services for showing areas under water scarcity pressure, as well as changes over time.

The Government's view

7.6 In his Explanatory Memorandum of 27 January 2009, the Minister for the Natural and Marine Environment, Wildlife and Rural Affairs at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Mr Huw Irranca-Davies) says that the UK broadly supports the objectives of the earlier Communication and in this follow-up report in providing a framework for action by Member States, identifying threats to water supplies from both long term and short term impacts in Europe, and requiring Member States to address the problems within their borders.

Conclusion

7.7 The earlier Communication sought to identify ways of tackling at both Community and national levels a problem which seems likely to increase over time, and, whilst we were content to clear it, we thought it right to draw it to the attention of the House. We are adopting a similar approach to this follow-up report.





14   (28827) 12052/07: see HC 41-xxxv (2006-07), chapter 7 (17 October 2007). Back


 
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