Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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The EU Water Framework Directive (Directive 2000/60/EC of 23 October 2000 establishing a framework for Community action in the field of water policy), which establishes a common framework for the protection of inland surface waters, transitional waters, coastal waters and groundwater, has been transposed into Irish law primarily through the following Regulations:

- European Union (Water Policy) Regulations 2014(S.I. No. 350 of 2014)

- European Communities (Technical Specifications for the Chemical Analysis and Monitoring of Water Status) Regulations, 2011 (S.I. No. 489 of 2011)

- European Communities (Good Agricultural Practice for Protection of Waters) Regulations, 2010 (S.I. No. 610 of 2010)

- European Communities Environmental Objectives (Groundwater) Regulations, 2010 (S.I. No. 9 of 2010)

- European Communities Environmental Objectives (Surface Waters) Regulations, 2009 (S.I. No. 272 of 2009)

- European Communities (Water Policy) Regulations, 2003 (S.I. No. 722 of 2003)

These Regulations cover governance, the shape of the Directive’s characterisation, monitoring and status assessment programmes, determining the quality elements and undertaking the characterisation and classification assessments for both surface and groundwater bodies.

Under Regulation 10 of the 2003 Regulations, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been assigned the responsibility of developing the appropriate monitoring programmes to be applied by public authorities assigned a duty of monitoring by the EPA.

Further details of the various monitoring programmes (Rivers, Lakes, Marine and Groundwater), which establishes the monitoring measures necessary for compliance with Articles 7(1) and 8 of the Directive, are available on the EPA’s website at the following link; www.epa.ie/our-services/monitoring--assessment/freshwater--marine/.