What progress have EU Member States made in implementing the Water Framework Directive between the first (2009) to the second cycle (2015) of river basin management planning? A consultant's report co-authored by Ecologic Institute is provides initial insights on the basis of a screening assessment of the second River Basin Management Plans draft, prepared for the fourth European Water Conference. The report is available for download.

The Water Framework Directive (WFD) required Member States to report their River Basin Management Plans (RBMPs) by March 2010. In November 2012, the European Commission published a report which included among other things a review of progress in the implementation of the Directive and a survey of the River Basin Management Plans, including suggestions for the improvement of future plans. In addition, in November 2012 the European Commission published a Blueprint for Water which identified the future direction for EU Water Policy. The Blueprint built upon the results of a Fitness Check of EU Water Policy, an in-depth analysis of certain aspects of the RBMPs, and other technical studies. As part of a pan-European consortium of 14 institutions in a core team led by WRc, Ecologic Institute supports the European Commission in the development and implementation of EU freshwater policies.