Workshop - Rethinking the governance of European water protection

Workshop in Leipzig on Januar 8-9, 2019

Abstract
"In 2000 the EU Water Framework Directive was put into force aiming a good ecological and chemical status in all European Waters by 2015 – extensions possible until 2027. 2015 elapsed and the experiences of the last years show that this aim will not be reached by 2027 either. Diverse dimensions and possible reasons are discussed in various scientific disciplines. In October 2017 the European Commission published the Evaluation Roadmap “Fitness check of the Water Framework Directive and the Floods Directive” starting the official fitness check of the directive. The evaluation process shall be finished in 2019.
This gives us the occasion to discuss the status quo of the European water governance model largely framed by the WFD, to analyse success and failure of specific policy instruments and governance arrangements within this implementation process and to rethink the governance of European water protection and water governance in general to solve environmental problems in a sustainable manner.
This workshop addresses frameworks/ lenses/ concepts/ theories and methods to research European water governance: Which perspectives on factors, levels and scales do they focus on? How effective and legitimate is the implementation of guiding principles and processes like participation, sector integration and basin approaches and the CIS-groups and how does it affect implementation processes and outcomes? Which policy instruments, strategies or other factors influence local, regional and national success or failure? Where are best-practice examples identifiable empirically?
We draw conclusions how European water governance might be improved in favour of better performance. Additionally, we critically reflect how the chosen frameworks and methods predetermine the findings of regulating parameters. Additionally, without closing the list, what does all this mean for the upcoming research agenda?"