Synergies and Conflicts Between Water Framework Directive and Natura 2000: Legal Requirements, Technical Guidance and Experiences from Practice - Wetlands and Water Framework Directive: Protection, Management and Climate Change - page 15

connectivity with the main river stem, i.e. towards a near-natural status. This would
lead to an extreme decrease or even the terminal loss of the present aquatic veg-
etation and its associated fauna, but good or high ecological status in full accor-
dance with running water conditions would be reached. On the other hand, our
study showed that the present conservation status can be classi

ed as favourable in
the majority of that type of water bodies. This condition shall not be deteriorated by
any human intervention according to HD. Yet, the enhancement of the ecological
status

la WFD towards pre-regulation conditions with high connectivity with the
main river channel would terminate the present diversity and abundance of aquatic
fl

à

flora and fauna. This would be a clear opposite to the goals of HD.
The most prominent EU document focusing on potential con icts between WFD

and HD/BD comprises a multitude of aspects related to this important topic (EC
DG-Env 2011 ). Yet, practical application is in no way easily achieved, as the WFD
aim of good status requires biological quality elements to

fl

' deviate only slightly

from those normally associated with … undisturbed conditions ' (Annex V N ° . 1.2

table 1.2 WFD). Concerning water bodies in river floodplains this means to

implement permanently running water conditions again. Yet, as already stated
above, numerous examples exist where

fl

' '

like oxbows have
developed over a long time into habitats of highest conservational value, regarding
their aquatic

regulation-artefacts

fl flora and fauna. In such cases, con fl icting goals must be dealt with.

2.3 Implementation of the WFD in Natura 2000 Sites:
Legal Provisions and Guidance of the European
Commission

2.3.1 Legal Requirements for Implementing
the Environmental Objectives in Natura 2000 Sites

After having detected the overlap between the objectives of the WFD and Natura
2000 as well as potential synergies and con ning

which legal requirements exist for the coordinated implementation of the WFD in
Natura 2000 sites.
First of all it has to be stated that the objectives of Art. 4 WFD apply to surface
water bodies or groundwater, i.e. elements of precisely de

fl icts in Sect. 2.2 , it needs de

ned spatial extent (e.g.
lakes, reservoirs, streams, rivers, canals, aquifers or part of them; (Art. 2 N . 10 and

12 WFD). Natura 2000 sites are only affected by the WFD if they are part of such
water bodies or can be quali

°

ed as ground water dependent ecosystems. Regarding

Natura 2000 sites in floodplains the WFD is unclear to which extent they are part of

the surface water body. In a wide interpretation,

fl

floodplains may be considered as
part of a surface water body (normally a river) as far as they are functionally
connected (EC 2003a , p. 14).
Nevertheless, the interdependencies between water bodies and flood plains call
at least for protecting

fl

fl floodplains indirectly to achieve the good ecological status of