The Water Environment (Water Framework Directive) (England and Wales) Regulations 2003

River basin management plans

11.—(1) The Agency must by such date as the appropriate authority may direct prepare and submit to the appropriate authority a river basin management plan for each river basin district.

(2) A river basin management plan must—

(a) relate to such period as the appropriate authority directs; and

(b) include the information specified in the relevant provisions of the Directive.

(3) The relevant provisions of the Directive for the purposes of this regulation are—

(a) Article 9(2) and (4) (recovery of the costs of water services);

(b) Annex II, point 1.3(vi) (exclusion of elements from the assessment of ecological status);

(c) the following provisions of Annex V—

(i) points 1.3 and 1.3.4 (confidence and precision in monitoring surface water);

(ii) point 2.4.1 (confidence and precision in monitoring groundwater); and

(iii) points 2.4.5 and 2.5 (presentation of monitoring results for groundwater); and

(d) Annex VII, Part A (elements to be covered in river basin management plans).

(4) The appropriate authority must ensure that each river basin management plan is—

(a) published by 22nd December 2009; and

(b) periodically reviewed and where appropriate updated, initially by 22nd December 2015 and thereafter by each sixth anniversary of that date.