After the floods... EU demands Malta's river basin plans

In the week which saw some of Malta's roads turned into rivers by rainwater flooding, the European Commission has warned the government to submit its river basin plans.

The warning was also issued to Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, Greece, Portugal and Slovenia.

The Water Framework Directive obliges Member States to protect and restore all bodies of ground water and surface water (rivers, lakes, canals and coastal water) to achieve good status by 2015 at the latest.

The river basin management plans should have been adopted by December 2009.

The Commission said that on the recommendation of Environment Commissioner Janez Potočnik, reasoned opinions were therefore being sent to the seven countries and unless they gave satisfactory replies within two months, action may be taken before the European Court of Justice.

For further information on the consultation and adoption status of river basin management plans, visit:

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/water/participation/map_mc/map.htm