UK Water Body Management Planning in Times of Brexit: Slow De-Europeanisation?

The primary management tools for this purpose are the River Basin Management Plans (‘RBMP') and the Programmes of Measures.2 The original deadline for the achievement of good status was 2015. However, the WFD authorises a variety of exceptions and derogations from the aim of achieving good water status by 2015. More specifically, where Member States determine that in relation to a water body the good status objective for reasons of either technical feasibility, or disproportionate costs, or natural conditions cannot reasonably be achieved by the 2015 deadline, the WFD authorises the Member States to extend the deadline for its attainment by up to twelve years; longer extensions are permissible only where it is natural conditions which preclude the achievement of the good status objective by 2027.