1. STRATEGIC CO-ORDINATION GROUP Water scarcity Expert group
Working Group C Progress Report & Planning 2007
STRATEGIC CO-ORDINATION GROUP
PLENARY WG C
CHAIR: COM
CO-CHAIR: AT
WFD & Agriculture
Expert group
Water scarcity Expert group
Programme
of Measures
Compliance
& Trends
Risk
Assessment
‘Prevent/limit’ guidance
‘Protected areas’ guidance
Exchanges on point & diffuse sources
TV methodology
‘Status & trend’ guidance
Conceptual modelling, GIS
Quantitative status management,
Most recent milestone: Berlin plenary WG meeting on 3 May 2007:
GW protected areas guidance (still last-minute comments to consider) – discussed further
GW ‘Prevent/Limit’ guidance, clarifying GWD Article 6 requirements
First draft of TV methodology + skeleton of Status & Trends guidance
Discussion of WPs for WGC-1 and WGC-3: “Land use & groundwater” (WFD & Agriculture)
Possible consideration of “other diffuse sources” to be discussed in WGC-3 (WGC-1 out?)
Next plenary meeting: Lisbon on 21 September 2007

2. Groundwater & protected areas in the context of the WFD
European Commission - DG Environment
Unit D.2: Water and Marine

3. Protected areas in the context of the WFD (Annex IV): TWO INTERPRETATIONS
First interpretation: DWPA = part of a GW body, or extending over parts of two or more bodies, or corresponding to GW body boundaries. In this context, safeguard zones may not be needed in addition of DWPAs where measures are to be focused.
Second interpretation: DWPA = whole groundwater body (Article 7.1 WFD). The protection may be focused on (but not necessarily restricted to) zones around actual or planned abstractions, i.e. safeguard zones (similar to DWPAs defined in the 1st interpretation).
Regardless of which interpretation is used, Article 7.3 objectives apply.

4. Guidance based on 2nd interpretation – IN SUMMARY –
DWPA = whole groundwater body
DWPAs cover actual abstraction zones (safeguard zones) and other zones of potential abstraction
Protection measures are focused on safeguard zones normally linked to DW abstractions that are at risk of deterioration. This does not rule out wider measures if a MS wishes to provide protection e.g. to an area that is identified for future abstraction.
As noted in the GWD, safeguard zones may be part of a GW body/DWPA, cover parts of two or more bodies, or cover the whole territory of a Member State.

5. LINKS WITH PROTECTED AREAS
X – Threshold value: 25 µg/l (account of NBL + interactions) X
– DW safeguard zone (DW standard of 10 µg/l): minimum treatment should apply= compliance to Art. 7(3) of WFD
AQUATIC
ECOSYSTEM
GROUNDWATER BODY= DWPA
DW safeguard zone X X
TERRESTRIAL
ECOSYSTEM X X X X X X X X X X X X X
Other protected areas
e.g. NATURA 2000 X
THE MOST STRINGENT PROTECTION REGIME SHOULD PREVAIL

6. About exemptions and derogations
Exemptions/derogations to WFD’s objectives listed in Article 4.1(a) and 4.1(b) by forward references to paragraphs
No forward reference to Article 4.1(c) but paras 4.4 – 4.8 refer back to Article 4.1 as a whole, hence including 4.1.(c)
However, Articles 4.8 and 4.9 indicates that the application of Articles should be consistent with other Community legislation. Therefore, there cannot be a relaxation of objectives from those stated in the Community legislation has been designated. How this relates to timescales is unclear.
Proposal that guidance document stresses that this issue is to be clarified in the “Exemption” expert group

7. STRATEGIC CO-ORDINATION GROUP
CMA Progress Report & Planning 2007
STRATEGIC CO-ORDINATION GROUP
WG E
PLENARY CMA
(GW, SW/MW)
WG C or WG E
(joint meetings)
CMA-1
Exchange of
best practices
CMA-2
QA_QC
CMA-3
Standardisation
(CEN TC/230)
Analytical methods, sampling
Practical exercises
Sediment and biota
Follow-up of COM decision
Discussion of common strategy (EAQC-WISE)
Identification of standards
Follow-up of CEN work
Links with RTD
Most recent milestone: Berlin plenary CMA meeting on 2 May 2007:
Worth noting ‘WFD Monitoring Conference’ in Lille (280 participants from 30 countries)
Surface Water Monitoring guidance ‘frozen’ as interim report until PS Directive 1st reading
Revised version of QA/QC draft decision sent for opinion to EC Legal Service
Discussion of WPs for CMA-1 and CMA-3 with concrete developments regarding CEN
Next plenary meeting: Brussels on 16 October 2007 (back-to-back WG E meeting)