EN
Water is one of the most comprehensively regulated resources in the EU environmental legislation. It is evident that agriculture puts pressure on water resources, mainly by diffuse pollution. This impact is proportional to the wide range of agricultural practices and management intensity. For sustainable management of water in agriculture the EU Member States according to the Nitrate Directive have to establish a Code of good agricultural practice. The Code covers the main agricultural activities that may give rise to pollution of water. It describes some of the management practices easy to be adopted to minimize the risk of causing pollution. The Water Framework Directive applies a new approach to water management, based on natural nver basins. For the next round of Rural Development Programmes in 2007-2013, specific account needs tobe taken of the consequences of the Water Framework Directive for agricultural sector. The paper is focused on some of the causes and possible solutions for several water and environmental quality problems connected with agricultural activities.