Freshwater - National Responses (Norway)

The EU Water Framework Directive was incorporated into Norwegian law at the end of 2006. However, the Regulation was not formally incorporated intothe EEA-agreement until 2009 and entered into force in May 2009. The Water Management Regulations divides Norway into river basin districts managed by11 river basin district authorities. Initially, water management plans and programmes of measures have been made for a pilot group of 30 selected sub-districts representing about 20 per cent of Norway’s watercourses. Assessment of pressures and predicted environmental status in water bodies in 2015 have performed for all water bodies.However, at present only water bodies in the selected sub-districts have been assessed according to whether they have good, moderate or poor environmental status according to criteria for status set in the directive.

The EU Ground Water Directive is planned to be incorporated into the Norwegian Water Management Regulations in 2010. The directive is not yet part of the EEA Agreement. Norway has implemented the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive by establishing national regulations.

The new Nature Diversity Act of September 2009 will provide means to protect biodiversity. The Act contains important environmental principles such as the precautionary principle, the ecosystem approach and the polluter pays principle, extending beyond the scope of pollution. Designation of selected habitat types and pointing out priority species and their natural habitats will influence activity in these areas.

The Norwegian government has initiated the development of a Nature index for Norway. The index will be an essential tool to monitor the overall trend in nature over time (for more information, seebiodiversity).