The first River Basin Management Plans (RBMPs) prepared under the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) are now published or are soon to be published (see Annex 1). The WFD river basins vary significantly in size and they present very different challenges. A review of some of the first round RBMPs suggests that there is equal diversity in the extent to which these Plans recognise the important role that sediment-related (quality and quantity) issues play in river systems.