The French case-study located in the Thau basin revealed interesting innovations for the WFD. Although France already had basin-scale organization, some institutional changes occur following the WFD. At national level, a central office for water and aquatic environment was created in 2006 and resulted in a re-centralisation of expertise and decision making for the implementation of the WFD. In parallel, the decentralisation process launched in 1992 with basin planning and local planning has persisted. The Rhône basin revealed to be very specific in the way decision-making processes happened. Bottom-up approaches were used to set environmental goals and to select measures, whereas in other French basins a more centralised approach was used. Such processes became at odds with general objectives set in the Grenelle, a large participatory process at national level on environment issues which determined the number of water bodies to achieve the good ecological status (66%). Both processes were reconciled using uncertainties concerning very little water bodies. Mostly experts were involved. They contributions resulted in blurring the objectives of the Grenelle. However most significant stakes discussed at local scale (notably in Thau) were kept in this process. The Thau basin is a territory in which integration between sectors, notably between water-related and non water-related public policies have a twenty-year-long history of integration. This process was initiated by State representatives benefiting from large state compentences on the sea-shore. However local political officials seized this opportunity to orient the development of the area toward the conservation of the lagoon. Dedicated staff was hired to support this integration and perimeters of land use and water planning were adjusted.We found that the person in charge of facilitating collaboration between institutions and sectors on water issues at sub-basin level, the sub-basin animateur, has a key-role for implementing the WFD objectives and overcoming integration challenges. This role sustains a stewardship of the Thau basin, a local appropriation of the WFD goals and procedures and it fosters public participation. We argued that this role is not specific to Thau and can probably be transplanted to other sites, although it requires institutional changes.