Joint letter to Commissioner Roswall: Living Rivers Europe recommendations to foster implementation of Water Framework Directive

This joint letter from the Living Rivers Europe coalition (five water protection-focused NGOs) urges Commissioner Roswall to firmly oppose any attempt to include the Water Framework Directive (WFD) in the upcoming Environmental Omnibus (a process of deregulating rules to protect people and planet.

It highlights that the WFD is Europe’s key legal tool for protecting freshwater and ensuring climate resilience, public health, clean drinking water, and biodiversity. Weakening it now – especially after the recent setback in the trilogue on priority substances – would directly contradict the goals of the new European Water Resilience Strategy, undermine citizens’ trust, and weaken business confidence in this Commission.

The letter also challenges claims that the WFD hampers growth or permitting, pointing out that the real issue is poor implementation and overuse of legal exemptions. It underscores the economic and environmental risks of inaction, citing billions in damages from floods, droughts, and pollution like PFAS. Instead of rewriting the law, the Commission should focus on enforcing it, closing implementation gaps, and aligning investments with long-term water security – as 78% of Europeans demand stronger action on water protection, and 92% of Europeans want companies to pay to clean up the pollution they cause.