European Union (Water Policy) (Amendment) Regulations 2022 (S.I. No. 166 of 2022).

These Regulations extensively amend the European Communities (Water Policy) Regulations, 2003 by inserting new provisions and modifying existing ones in relation to, among other thing: interpretations ( poor or bad status and water services ); quality elements applicable to artificial and heavily modified surface water bodies; setting of chemical quality standards and quality standard; monitoring of ecological status and chemical status for surface waters; groundwater monitoring; surveillance monitoring; operational monitoring; standards for sampling of water quality elements; preparation, review and updating of river basin management plans; characterisation of surface water body types; Ecoregions and surface water body types; establishment of type-specific reference conditions for surface water body types; register of protected areas required under Article 6 of the Water Directive and article 8; normative Definitions of ecological status classifications.