The Solway Tweed River Basin District (Status) (Scotland) Directions 2024
These direct the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) regarding the application of environmental standards for the water environment.
General purpose of environmental standards
The key mechanism for delivering improvements to the water environment is the river basin management planning process. This process relies on the use of environmental standards and condition limits to help us assess risks to the ecological quality of our water environment and to identify the scale of improvements needed to bring those waters not in good condition back to good health.
The standards underpin our efforts to protect and, where necessary, improve the water environment by informing decisions made by regulators on the controls required for activities that could adversely affect the water environment. They also help us identify what is needed to support the achievement of ‘good ecological status’ – and so inform the setting of environmental objectives in the river basin management planning process. It is therefore important that the standards are based on sound science and set at levels which protect the varying needs of Scotland's aquatic ecosystems; and reviewed over time in the light of new scientific evidence.
One of the key uses of the standards is to underpin the classification schemes needed to assess the state of our aquatic environment. Classification shows us where the status of the water environment is good, and where it requires improvement. This helps us identify and prioritise where improvements may be needed, and will in turn help us to assess how our water bodies have benefited from those improvements. The first set of classification schemes were published in Classification Directions to SEPA in 2009, and revised in 2014. We have issued further revised Directions in 2024 incorporating the changes needed to take account of the updated and expanded set of environmental standards.
Read the policy note that explains more about these directions.
See a full list of water environment legislation.
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Contact
Email: waterenvironment@gov.scot
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