SPI activity (2010-2012) – Final phase (Avril to June 2012) Yorick Reyjol (ONEMA) & Wouter van de Bund (JRC), March 2012, Ispra SPI activity (2010-2012) – Final phase (Avril to June 2012) The water science meets policy event (“SPI event”) was held on 30 September 2010 at DG Research in Brussels (150 participants, 15 Members-States and Switzerland) (http://www.onema.fr/IMG/EV/cat1a-13.html). The workshop was organised within the framework of the ad-hoc Science-Policy Interface (SPI) activity led by DG Research and ONEMA. The SPI event provided an arena to connect scientists and WFD end users, and to establish a list of the research and needs for the implementation of the WFD. The SPI event was also the occasion to initiate the validation of these research needs expressed by WFD end-users against knowledge already made available by the research community.  Research needs were discussed in 9 parallel round tables aligned on the CIS groups. In total 180 specific research issues were discussed (http://www.onema.fr/IMG/EV/EV/plus/wsmp_report.pdf).  For round table 1 (Ecological status), a total number of 16 research issues related to four main areas was identified as a primary source of concerns. These issues were discussed during the next two months (including a consultation of ECOSTAT people at large), and we now have a validated list of 10 priority research issues.  The purpose now consists in writing a 3 to 5 pages state-of-the-art and identifying knowledge gaps for the corresponding research issue you will be mandated for (including literature references). Deadline is the 30th April.  The compilation of these documents will then be transmitted to CIS-SPI co-leaders with the objective of including it in the final CIS-SPI report to be submitted to the European Water Directors the 1st of June. The document will then be transmitted through the CI-SPI activity process to the research and development funding organisations (including EC-DG RTD) for consideration in their research programmes and calls.