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FOREWORD
The Water Framework Directive ( WFD) is changing the way we manage Scotland's water environment. We need to ensure that water use is sustainable, for this and future generations, and to this end the Directive requires us to protect and improve the health of aquatic plant and animal communities in Scotland's water environment. To help us do this, we are in the process of defining the environmental standards that are needed to secure healthy aquatic ecosystems.
The standards are being introduced in phases as the scientific work to identify them progresses. We consulted on the first phase of standards in October 2006. These first tranche standards are now set out in " The Scotland River Basin District (Surface Water Typology and Environmental Standards) (Scotland) Directions 2007" and "The Solway Tweed River Basin District (Surface Water Typology and Environmental Standards) (Scotland) Directions 2007" ("the 2007 Directions"). As well as setting out the standards, the 2007 Directions instruct SEPA on their use.
This consultation seeks your views on a second tranche of environmental standards and conditions for surface waters and groundwater. The consultation also sets out our proposals for amendments to the 2007 Directions to enable SEPA to better identify the likely causes of ecological impacts and pressures in order to prioritise further investigation, monitoring and remedial action.
In addition to the 2007 Directions, we also published two key policy statements in 2007. The first of these, " Principles for setting objectives for the River Basin Management Plan", set out our approach to setting environmental objectives for the water environment through the river basin management planning process. The second, " Development of environmental standards and conditions", described the application of environmental standards in helping achieve those objectives.
These policy statements were intended to provide stakeholders with a better understanding of the holistic approach to the protection of the water environment required by the Water Framework Directive and we suggest that you may wish to read these in tandem with this consultation.
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