Implementing Multi‐level Governance? The Legal Basis and Implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive for Forestry in Sweden

Abstract

The European Commission Water Framework Directive (WFD) aims to achieve ‘good status’ for all waters by 2015. This study reviews implementation mechanisms with regard to forestry in Sweden, a country with a large proportion of forest land, where forest practices will be important for limiting nutrient and particle runoff that impact the water status. Taking a multi‐level governance perspective, this study reviews the legislative requirements at the EU level, legal and policy implementation at the Swedish level and, finally, local implementation in the forest industry. The study illustrates the national specific interpretation of the WFD as well as the way in which existing practices and measures influence WFD implementation. These include for example the Swedish practice to integrate environmental values in forestry via ‘considerations’, supported also by the use of forest certification measures (a voluntary private sector initiative through which environmental consideration is controlled by third‐party auditors). The study thereby exemplifies the large role of private and overlapping authorities and jurisdictions in Swedish forest‐water governance. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.

Adaptation to Climate Change in Forestry: A Perspective on Forest Ownership and Adaptation Responses

“…However, during the 20th century, this has led to forest dominated by monocultures [61]. Nevertheless, the character and practices of the Swedish forestry model and the forest governing system have changed during recent decades, owing to increasing internationalisation and integration of new policy areas [62] and market-based certification systems [63,64]. Shifting values, attitudes and practices among various groups of forest owners [33,65,66] and users [67,68] have added to these changes by increasing the heterogeneity of interests and knowledge within the forest landscape.…”

Actors’ Perceptions of Issues in the Implementation of the First Round of the Water Framework Directive: Examples from the Water Management and Forestry Sectors in Southern Sweden

“…These include the designation of river basin districts as well as the appointment of a suitable authority to apply the rules of the Directive (Art. 3.1) with OPEN ACCESS significant local involvement [3]. All of these requirements are likely to play out differently in different national contexts due to varying prerequisites in terms of administrative structure, established interests and policy priorities.…”

“…Multi-level governance is also regularly seen to include changes in the distribution of authority and the inclusion of potentially competing administrative requirements (cf. [3]). As a result, the implementation of new tools, such as the Water Framework Directive, could be expected to impact the distribution of authority.…”

“…Such changes will impact the national level, which will also develop specific ways to implement the Directive that serve as guides at the regional and local level. Regional and local levels within a state will thus face considerable demands as concerns regarding the integration and implementation of new organisational tools that originate, and are driven by, logics external to the state organisation [3]. In addition, other land use or industrial sectors with a potential impact on water quality will need to comply with the WFD and its requirements in both a stakeholder role and as impacted by potential measures under the WFD.…”

“…A specific process has also been introduced which concerns decision-making on the (binding or non-binding) nature of environmental quality standards or norms for water in Swedish legislation at large. This process is not dealt with here, but see for instance [3]. Sweden has thus been divided into five river basin districts, each of which consist of river basin areas composed of several county administrative boards, i.e., including several regional denominations as these are divided in the general Swedish system of delineation of authority.…”