GAEC standard 4, listed in Annex III to Regulation (EU) 2021/2115, aims to protect river courses against pollution and run-off by the establishment of buffer strips along water courses. Experience has shown that, for the purposes of this GAEC standard, Member States should have the possibility to align the definition of water course with the definition of water course established by Member States in national legislation, including national legislation implementing Union law, which is part of SMR listed in Annex III to that Regulation. The definition of water course used by the Member States for the purposes of GAEC standard 4 should, however, be in line with the main objective of that GAEC standard, in particular the objective of reducing the risk of excluding smaller water courses that could carry pollution downstream from the scope of that GAEC standard.
Text as published in the Official Journal, reproduced verbatim (including any typographical quirks of the source). For the authentic version, see EUR-Lex.
