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The EU Water Framework Directive has, since 2000, strived to harmonize water management across national borders. Each member state is required to bring all of its water bodies at least to "Good Ecological Status" by 2015. Acreman and Ferguson (2010) provide a detailed explanation of environmental flow determination and provision under the Directive, with examples of its implementation in the UK. The approach has many elements of ELOHA, including river classification and using expert opinion to quantify % allowable flow abstraction for each river type.
Hirji and Davis (2009b, pages 21-29) assess the WFD in terms of the legal standing for environmental water allocation, inclusion of environmental water provisions in basin water resources plans, assessment of all relevant parts of the water cycle when undertaking environmental flow assessments, methods for setting environmental flow objectives, attention to both protection and restoration of environmental flows, requirements for stakeholder involvement, authority to audit implementation, and mechanism for turning value-laden terms into operational procedures. See also United Kingdom case study, below.