ABSTRACT
The paper describes a case study conducted on the Atàler River concerning the implementation of the Dangerous Substances Directive (Dir. 76/464/EEC), still in effect but due to be superseded after the full implementation of the WFD (Dir. 2000/60/EU). The study was carried out as part of the Twinning Project "Implementation of Environmental Legislation by the National/Regional Environmental Inspectorates" (Twinning HU/2001/IB/EN/01) by several agencies of the Piedmont Region of Italy and the National Environmental Inspectorates of Hungary. The main purpose of the case study was to identify a pollution reduction strategy compatible with desired water uses and that will comply with the future requirements of the WFD. The case study is of special interest since the Atáler is one of the very few all-hungarian river basins. Result of the study is a set of guidelines that could be transposed at the national level to carry out similar activities elsewhere. Some of the conclusions drawn herein could be extended to other new Members of the EU.
