Page 273 - Freshwater-Biology-and-Ecology-Handbook

These assessments inform the River Basin Management Post-Brexit: for now the UK will continue with the Water
Plans and the development and implementation of the Framework Directive (WFD) planning and implementation
Programme of Measures. process and the WFD remains in place through the
European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018. (129)
At European level, the State of the Environment reports https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2018/16/
are compiled by the European Environment Agency (EEA) contents/enacted
based in Copenhagen. These reports are totally dependent
upon data and information being made available by EU A UK 25-Year Environment Plan is now in place. (130)
Member States. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/
uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/
In the UK, the Environment Agency and the devolved file/693158/25-year-environment-plan.pdf
agencies – Environment Agency Northern Ireland, Natural
Resources Wales, and Scottish Environment Protection It will increasingly become the focus for environmental
Agency – have statutory duties to produce a State of the improvement policy, including the WFD principles. This
Environment report. They also have a statutory duty to will be consolidated and taken forward through the UK
undertake environmental monitoring programmes and to Environment Act 2021. (131)
advise ministers on environmental issues. https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2021/30/
contents/enacted
In addition, environmental data held by the environment
agencies is available to the public and any other interested
parties. This chapter gives examples of the data available.

The UK Environment Act (2021) passed
into UK law in November 2021. The Act
comprises two thematic halves:

• The first provides a legal framework for (UK)
environmental governance (post-Brexit).
• The second makes provision for specific
improvement of the environment, including
measures on waste and resource efficiency, air
quality and environmental recall, water, nature
and biodiversity, and conservation covenants.

It will enable the implementation of the 25-Year
Environment Plan.
From: Environment Bill Explanatory Notes. (132)
https://bills.parliament.uk/publications/41685/
documents/327

Locally, Rivers Trusts and other Non-Governmental Information from State of the Environment reports informs
Organisation (NGO) projects are also engaged in collecting future policy for the environment and industry. This
data and acting on the results. Additionally, the public, information is a core element of the River Basin Planning
through citizen science projects, contribute to and utilise initiatives, specifically the WFD.
this information.

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