ABSTRACT
The European Community has been developing its policy on water since the 1970s, but some of the early Directives were only agreed after considerable compromises and there are many gaps, overlaps and inconsistencies in the current policy. The Treaty of European Union (1992), signed at Maastricht, dramatically changed the position by establishing environmental protection as part of the treaty obligations and by making these issues subject to qualified majority voting. As a result the Commission has undertaken a comprehensive review of water policy, resulting in the Proposed Water Framework Directive that is intended to replace most of the early Directives. Following several years of detailed negotiation, and a hectic final round of conciliation talks between the Council, Commission and Parliament, the final form of the proposal and its major implications have now become clear. However, despite the process being familiar, there are major implications for UK business.
