B. whereas the flood caused excessive damage to public infrastructure (roads, waterways, electrical grids, sewage systems and telecommunication networks), commercial areas, industry and rural zones, destroying also cultural and environmental heritage; whereas the damage to waterway and sewage systems, in particular, may be dangerous to public health,

As regards the quality of the surface waters, the Water Framework Directive has established protection of all waters; an obligation to achieve/maintain good water quality for all surface waters and groundwaters, by 2015; plus a prohibition of deterioration of water status; an obligation to establish a monitoring system; an obligation to develop the necessary plans and programmes by December 2009, in broad public consultation with local municipalities, stakeholders and non-governmental organisations.

– having regard to Directive 2000/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2000 establishing a framework for Community action in the field of water policy ('Framework Directive on water policy'), Council Directive 98/83/EC of 3 November 1998 on the quality of water intended for human consumption , Council Directive 75/440/EEC of 16 June 1975 concerning the quality required of surface water intended for the abstraction of drinking water in the Member States and Directive 2006/118/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 December 2006 on the protection of groundwater against pollution and deterioratio ...[+++]n ,

- having regard to Directive 2000/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2000 establishing a framework for Community action in the field of water policy , Council Directive 98/83/EC of 3 November 1998 on the quality of water intended for human consumption , Council Directive 75/440/EEC of 16 June 1975 concerning the quality required of surface water intended for the abstraction of drinking water in the Member States and Directive 2006/118/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 December 2006 on the protection of groundwater against pollution and deterioration,

Research will focus on: impact of climate change on the components of the hydrological cycle - land/ocean/atmosphere interactions, groundwater/surface water distribution, freshwater and wetland ecosystems, soil functioning and water quality; assessment of vulnerability of water/soil systems to global change; management strategies, their impacts and mitigation technologies; scenarios of water demand and availability.

The identification of priority substances and priority hazardous substances targeted to the establishment of controls of emissions, discharges and losses into surface, transitional and coastal waters from land-based sources contributes to the objectives and the Community commitments under international conventions for the protection of marine waters, in particular to the implementation of the Strategy with regard to hazardous substances adopted at the 1998 OSPAR Ministerial Meeting under the Convention for the protection of the marine environment of the North-East Atlantic pursuant to Council Decision 98/249/EC.