31 July 2014 r.

Acting pursuant to the national law in force and following the EU directives, the President of the National Water Management Authority has started drafting the update of the national water and environmental programme, river basins management plans and flood risk management plans in river basins. At least one year before they are published, the aforesaid drafts are scheduled to undergo public consultations. The works will be carried out in 2014 and 2015. According to the law, the documents should be finalised by 22 December 2015.

Flood risk management plans shall cover all aspects connected with flood risk management, such as preventing, protection and preparation for water rising, including flood forecasting and early warning systems. They should also cover activities that contribute to sustainable development of spatial planning, more effective water retention and controlled flooding in selected areas if a flood occurs. In addition, they will also include cost and benefits analysis, areas with potential retention capabilities and environmental goals included in the Water Framework Directive, rules governing water management and forms of land use, elements of spatial planning, nature protection, sailing and harbour infrastructure, flood forecasting and early warning systems as well as critical infrastructure. During the process of drafting, the elements taken into account will include long-term perspective and uncertain future connected with climate changes and modifications applied to the management of the areas that are in risk of a flood.
The main planning documents required by the WFD and the Water Law include: the national water and environmental plan and river basins water management plans. They are the grounds for the decisions that are taken when outlining the status of water resources and the ways they are to be managed in the future. Moreover, their purpose is to coordinate the activities that aim at reaching and maintaining at least fair condition of waters and water-dependent ecosystems, improving the condition of water resources, cultivating the potential for water use, decreasing the amount of substances that may adversely influence the waters and are introduced to both waters and soil, and finally improving the fire protection.
Water management plans for all river basins in Poland have been drafted and approved by the Council of Ministers on 22 February 2011 and then published in the Official Gazette Monitor Polski. Pursuant to the requirements of article 13 section 7 of the WFD, water management plans are reviewed and updated within 15 years utmost, starting as of the day the WFD has come into force, i.e. by 22 December 2015.