Article 4 › 1

In making operational the programmes of measures specified in the river basin management plans: (a) for surface waters (i) Member States shall implement the necessary measures to prevent deterioration of the status of all bodies of surface water, subject to the application of paragraphs 6 to 7b and without prejudice to paragraph 8; (ii) Member States shall protect, enhance and restore all bodies of surface water, subject to the application of point (iii) of this paragraph for artificial and heavily modified bodies of water, with the aim of achieving good surface water status at the latest 15 years after the date of entry into force of this Directive, in accordance with the provisions laid down in Annex V, subject to the application of extensions determined in accordance with paragraph 4 and to the application of paragraphs 5 to 7b without prejudice to paragraph 8; (iii) Member States shall protect and enhance all artificial and heavily modified bodies of water, with the aim of achieving good ecological potential and good surface water chemical status at the latest 15 years from the date of entry into force of this Directive, in accordance with the provisions laid down in Annex V, subject to the application of extensions determined in accordance with paragraph 4 and to the application of paragraphs 5 to 7b without prejudice to paragraph 8; (iv) Member States shall implement the necessary measures in accordance with Article 16(1) and (8), with the aim of progressively reducing pollution from priority substances and ceasing or phasing out emissions, discharges and losses of priority hazardous substances. without prejudice to the relevant international agreements referred to in Article 1 for the parties concerned; (b) for groundwater (i) Member States shall implement the measures necessary to prevent or limit the input of pollutants into groundwater and to prevent the deterioration of the status of all bodies of groundwater, subject to the application of paragraphs 6 to 7b of this Article and without prejudice to paragraph 8 thereof and subject to the application of Article 11(3)(j); (ii) Member States shall protect, enhance and restore all bodies of groundwater and ensure a balance between abstraction and recharge of groundwater, with the aim of achieving good groundwater status at the latest 15 years after the date of entry into force of this Directive, in accordance with the provisions laid down in Annex V, subject to the application of extensions determined in accordance with paragraph 4 of this Article and to the application of paragraphs 5 to 7b thereof without prejudice to paragraph 8 of this Article and subject to the application of Article 11(3)(j); (iii) Member States shall implement the measures necessary to reverse any significant and sustained upward trend in the concentration of any pollutant resulting from the impact of human activity in order progressively to reduce pollution of groundwater. Measures to achieve trend reversal shall be implemented in accordance with Article 17(2) of this Directive and Article 5 and Annex IV of Directive 2006/118/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council ( 3 ), subject to the application of paragraphs 6 to 7b of this Article and without prejudice to paragraph 8 thereof. (c) for protected areas Member States shall achieve compliance with any standards and objectives at the latest 15 years after the date of entry into force of this Directive, unless otherwise specified in the Community legislation under which the individual protected areas have been established.

1 national measure recorded under this provision, in 1 form — sign in to view the analysis.

← 4 · All articles · 2 →

Source: EUR-Lex CELLAR · retrieved 2026-08-09