Evolution of ecological status/potential of surface water bodies

The European Water Framework Directive, transposed into the Flemish Decree Integral Water Policy, sets as a goal for surface water bodies, among other things, good ecological status. The biological quality elements phytoplankton, macrophytes, phytobenthos, macroinvertebrates and fish, and a number of hydromorphological and physicochemical parameters determine the ecological status. The goal is almost nowhere achieved. Many water bodies already score well for one or more biological quality elements. The situation is slowly improving.