Abstract: The EU Water Framework Directive is a water environment management policy formulated by the European Union, which provides common goals, principles, definitions, and methods for member states' water environment management. Since its promulgation and implementation in 2000, the directive has been dedicated to enabling the European water environment to meet the needs of human beings and flora and fauna. Its advanced water environment assessment system, strict pollution management standards, scientific concept of water ecological protection and legal effect have played an important role in the field of water environment protection. This paper summarizes the development process of EU Water Framework Directive from life and production to ecological protection, from single to whole, and the main contents of surface water ecological environmental management system. It focus on the water quality evaluation system, water quality monitoring and comprehensive management of watershed and their advanced management concept, strict standard formulation, scientific ecological protection and priority of legal efficiency are systematically summarized. It also compares with China's surface water environmental quality standards and water environment management status, with a view to learning and absorbing the beneficial experience of international water ecological environmental management, to providing new ideas and methods for water ecological environment management in China.