Press Release: World Water Day 2010: A red letter day for Europe’s waters

22 March 2010 is World Water Day, and the Commission joins the UN in calling on governments around the globe to raise the political profile of the importance of water quality. But 22 March is also an important date for water management in Europe, because it is the deadline for Member States to submit their plans for managing Europe's river basins, as required by the Water Framework Directive. Most Member States are making good progress in delivering these plans, although a small number of States have significantly less progress. A decade after the legislation was adopted, the Commission is reviewing its implementation and envisages, by 2012, a "Blueprint to Safeguard European Waters."