The presentation provides an overview of the processes for policy integration in European water management, focusing on the implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive. It examines the scope and past efforts for integrated planning and collaborative governance across the EU, and discusses the current level of mainstreaming of water management objectives in other environmental and sectoral policies. Despite progress at EU level, several EU-wide reviews suggest that the level of ambition in sectoral mainstreaming varies widely between Member States. Additional environmental safeguards and better use of public funding to economic sectors are essential in order to provide the right “signal” to economic actors and effectively support the reaching of good ecological status.