The Water Framework Directive (WFD) is the EU’s overarching framework for protecting and improving the quality of surface water and groundwater. It aims to prevent the deterioration of water bodies and achieve good chemical and ecological status.
The WFD is complemented by two so-called daughter directives. The Groundwater Directive establishes EU-wide groundwater quality standards for pollutants, while the Environmental Quality Standards Directive sets environmental quality standards for priority substances in surface water.
Revised EU rules entered into force on 11 May 2026. The revision amended the Water Framework Directive, the Environmental Quality Standards Directive and the Groundwater Directive, and introduced new priority substances and groundwater pollutants, establishing corresponding environmental and groundwater quality standards.
Additional priority substances and stricter obligations have significant implications for industrial operators, including through their interaction with the revised Industrial Emissions Directive (IED). They may affect permitting requirements for refinery installations, compliance costs and investment needs.
In parallel, the European Commission has issued new guidance and announced a targeted revision of the WFD to address implementation challenges concerning industrial permitting, the non-deterioration principle and the achievement of environmental objectives.
FuelsEurope’s position and recommendations
The implementation of the revised EU water legislation and the forthcoming targeted revision of the WFD should remain science-based, risk-based and proportionate, delivering environmental benefits in a technically feasible and economically sustainable way.
FuelsEurope calls for:
- A risk-based and ecosystem-based approach to implementing requirements for priority substances.
- Science-based environmental standards supported by robust evidence and realistic compliance pathways.
- Transparent and harmonised procedures for setting EU and national environmental quality standards, including meaningful stakeholder involvement and full transparency of data and methodologies.
- Practical and proportionate alignment between the Water Framework Directive and the Industrial Emissions Directive, with permitting decisions based on clear, foreseeable and controllable criteria.
- A balanced application of the non-deterioration principle that protects water resources while enabling industrial investment.
- A targeted revision of the WFD that addresses implementation challenges, improves harmonisation across Member States and provides a workable framework for water-dependent industrial sectors.
- Close stakeholder involvement in the development of secondary legislation, guidance and implementation measures.
FuelsEurope will continue to engage in the implementation of the revised legislation, the forthcoming targeted revision of the WFD, and the implementation of the Water Resilience Strategy. The goal is to support water protection while maintaining regulatory certainty, industrial competitiveness and investment capacity across Europe.
European Water Resilience Strategy
The European Water Resilience Strategy, published in June 2025, sets out the EU’s vision for improving water security, strengthening the resilience of water systems and promoting a water-smart economy.
The Strategy focuses on three main objectives:
- Restoring and protecting the water cycle as basis for sustainable water supply;
- Building a water-smart economy that supports EU competitiveness and investment;
- Securing clean and affordable water and sanitation for all.
FuelsEurope supports the objectives of protecting water resources and improving water quality across the EU. It also welcomes the Water Resilience Strategy’s vision for a water-wise, circular economy that integrates water considerations across EU funding mechanisms.
This ambition supports environmental protection and public health and can create opportunities for innovation and sustainable growth. This includes opportunities for the refining sector and the energy transition, in which water plays a vital role.
The implementation of the Strategy should remain coherent with existing legislation and the EU simplification agenda. New initiatives should avoid duplicating requirements or creating unnecessary regulatory burdens.