Implementation of the EU Floods Directive in the German Elbe River Basin

Passing the Floods Directive in 2007, the European Union set a new task for the water policy, namely to establish a framework for the assessment and management of flood risks aiming at the reduction of the adverse consequences for human health, the environment, cultural heritage and economic activities which are associated with floods in river basin communities. Like the Water Framework Directive, the Floods Directive represents a new generation of guidelines based on integrated river basin management with a comprehensive character. This article describes the Floods Directive's principles, philosophy and the current status of implementation in the German part of the Elbe River Basin. Furthermore, it shows the connection to the Water Framework Directive and the possibilities of using synergies for the implementation process of both guidelines.