# 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, Division Table 1.2: General definition for rivers, lakes, transitional waters and coastal waters

Extent: E+W+S+N.I.

The following text provides a general definition of ecological quality. For the purposes of classification the values for the quality elements of ecological status for each surface water category are those given in tables 1.2.1 to 1.2.4 below.
Element
High status
Good status
Moderate status
General
There are no, or only very minor, anthropogenic alterations to the values of the physico-chemical and hydromorphological quality elements for the surface water body type from those normally associated with that type under undisturbed conditions.
The values of the biological quality elements for the surface water body reflect those normally associated with that type under undisturbed conditions, and show no, or only very minor, evidence of distortion.
These are the type-specific conditions and communities.
The values of the biological quality elements for the surface water body type show low levels of distortion resulting from human activity, but deviate only slightly from those normally associated with the surface water body type under undisturbed conditions.
The values of the biological quality elements for the surface water body type deviate moderately from those normally associated with the surface water body type under undisturbed conditions. The values show moderate signs of distortion resulting from human activity and are significantly more disturbed than under conditions of good status.
Waters achieving a status below moderate shall be classified as poor or bad.
Waters showing evidence of major alterations to the values of the biological quality elements for the surface water body type and in which the relevant biological communities deviate substantially from those normally associated with the surface water body type under undisturbed conditions, shall be classified as poor.
Waters showing evidence of severe alterations to the values of the biological quality elements for the surface water body type and in which large portions of the relevant biological communities normally associated with the surface water body type under undisturbed conditions are absent, shall be classified as bad.

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eudr/2000/60/annex/V/division/1/division/1.2/division/Table (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/eu-directive-2000-60/annex-V/division-1/division-1.2/division-Table
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.