Water Environment (Water Framework Directive) (England and Wales) Regulations 2003 (S.I. 3242 of 2003).

These Regulations make provision for the purpose of implementing in river basin districts within England and Wales Directive 2000/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a framework for Community action in the field of water policy. The Regulations require a new strategic planning process to be established for the purposes of managing, protecting and improving the quality of water resources. That process applies to river basin districts identified by regulation 4. These are river basin districts that are wholly in England, wholly in Wales or partly in England and partly in Wales, but not river basin districts that are partly in Scotland. General responsibility for ensuring that the Directive is given effect in those districts is placed on the "appropriate authority". The Environment Agency is required to carry out detailed monitoring and analysis in relation to each river basin district (reg. 5 and 9), and the appropriate authority must ensure that appropriate economic analysis is also carried out (reg. 6). Certain waters used for the abstraction of drinking water must be identified (reg. 7) and a register must be established of those waters and certain other protected areas (reg. 8). The results of the Agency's technical work, the environmental objectives and proposals for programmes of measures must be brought together in the preparation of a river basin management plan for each river basin district. The Agency is to prepare draft plans, after public involvement. Those plans must contain details of the results of the prior technical and planning work that will have been done, along with the environmental objectives and programmes of measures proposed for each district. Plans are subject to approval by the appropriate authority and must be periodically reviewed. The Secretary of State, the Assembly, the Agency and other public bodies are required to have regard to river basin management plans and to any supplementary plans in exercising their functions in relation to river basin districts.