The adoption of Directive 2000/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a framework for Community action in the field of water policy on October 23, 2000, represents a pivotal moment in the development of European water law. The legislative concept underlying the directive significantly influences the harmonization of planning, management, and control systems in water management across member states.

The directive's unifying ambitions are primarily realized through defined operational objectives, with environmental goals dominating, supplemented by economic and social objectives. The instrumental support is provided by two main planning documents of the directive: the water and environment program and the river basin management plans.

A scientific challenge has emerged in organizing and explaining the highly detailed contents of the directive. The number of Polish legal publications dedicated to this issue is relatively small. One might even get the impression that the framework directive has generated significantly more interest among representatives of agricultural sciences.

This book attempts to summarize the viewpoints developed by legal scholarship regarding the implementation of the Water Framework Directive. The perspectives, assessments, and concepts discussed are largely drawn from monographs and articles published in German. The use of these sources is justified by their abundance and diversity, as well as the historical and systemic affinities between Polish, German, and Austrian water law.

The work concludes with recommendations, including the need for amendments to the current law, which should facilitate the proper, effective, and practically useful implementation of the framework directive's objectives.