The dataset contains information on the European river basin districts, the river basin district sub-units, the surface water bodies and the groundwater bodies delineated for the 2nd River Basin Management Plans (RBMP) under the Water Framework Directive (WFD) as well as the European monitoring sites used for the assessment of the status of the above mentioned surface water bodies and groundwater bodies.

The information was reported to the European Commission under the Water Framework Directive (WFD) reporting obligations.

The dataset compiles the available spatial data related to the 2nd RBMPs due in 2016 (hereafter WFD2016). See http://rod.eionet.europa.eu/obligations/715 for further information on the WFD2016 reporting.

Relevant concepts:

River basin district (RBD): The area of land and sea, made up of one or more neighbouring river basins together with their associated groundwaters and coastal waters, which is the main unit for management of river basins.

River basin: The area of land from which all surface run-off flows through a sequence of streams, rivers and, possibly, lakes into the sea at a single river mouth, estuary or delta.

Sub-basin: The area of land from which all surface run-off flows through a series of streams, rivers and, possibly, lakes to a particular point in a water course (normally a lake or a river confluence).

Sub-unit [Operational definition. Not in the WFD]: Reporting unit. River basin districts larger than 50000 square kilometre should be divided into comparable sub-units with an area between 5000 and 50000 square kilometre. The sub-units should be created using river basins (if more than one river basin exists in the RBD), set of contiguous river basins, or sub-basins, for example. If the RBD area is less than 50000 square kilometre, the RBD itself should be used as a sub-unit.

Surface water body: Body of surface water means a discrete and significant element of surface water such as a lake, a reservoir, a stream, river or canal, part of a stream, river or canal, a transitional water or a stretch of coastal water.

Surface water: Inland waters, except groundwater; transitional waters and coastal waters, except in respect of chemical status for which it shall also include territorial waters.

Inland water: All standing or flowing water on the surface of the land, and all groundwater on the landward side of the baseline from which the breadth of territorial waters is measured.

River: Body of inland water flowing for the most part on the surface of the land but which may flow underground for part of its course.

Lake: Body of standing inland surface water.

Transitional waters: Bodies of surface water in the vicinity of river mouths which are partly saline in character as a result of their proximity to coastal waters but which are substantially influenced by freshwater flows.

Coastal water: Surface water on the landward side of a line, every point of which is at a distance of one nautical mile on the seaward side from the nearest point of the baseline from which the breadth of territorial waters is measured, extending where appropriate up to the outer limit of transitional waters.

Territorial sea: The territorial waters, or territorial sea as defined by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, extend up to a limit not exceeding 12 nautical miles (22.2 km), measured from the baseline. The normal baseline is the low-water line along the coast.

Territorial waters [Operational definition. Not in WFD.]: Reporting unit. The zone between the limit of the coastal water bodies and the limit of the territorial sea, geometrically subdivided in Thiessen polygons according to the adjacent coastal sub-unit (or using any alternative delineation provided by the national competent authorities), and assigned to an adjacent sub-unit for the purpose of reporting the chemical status of the territorial waters under the Water Framework Directive.

Groundwater body: 'Body of groundwater' means a distinct volume of groundwater within an aquifer or aquifers.

Groundwater: All water which is below the surface of the ground in the saturation zone and in direct contact with the ground or subsoil. Aquifer: Subsurface layer or layers of rock or other geological strata of sufficient porosity and permeability to allow either a significant flow of groundwater or the abstraction of significant quantities of groundwater.

Monitoring site: [Operational definition. Not in the WFD] Monitoring point included in a WFD surveillance, operational or investigative monitoring programme.