Water Science meets Policy Brussels 30 September 2010 Paul Logan Strategic Environmental Planning Environment Agency – England and Wales

Water Science meets Policy Objectives draft a list of the needs concerning research and development for the implementation of the WFD, to list results of past projects and to propose ways to improve the dissemination of results. identification of short term and longer term “research gaps” which could be addressed by remaining FP7 calls till 2013, or in the perspectives of FP8 and the new Joint Programming Initiative on Water (JPI Water).

Round Table Discussions Ecostat Hydromorphology Chemicals Groundwater Socio Economics River Basin Management Extreme events Agriculture Dissemination

Ecostat 1 Research area 1 : Developing and validating new Bioassessment tools 1: To overcome gaps for Transitional and Coastal waters (methods, taxonomy) 2: To overcome gaps for lakes (methods and taxonomy, notably for Mediterranean areas) 3: To analyse more carefully the links between ecotoxicological (individual and population levels) tools and assessment tools based on the structure of communities 4: To investigate the role of spatial scales in the relative sensitivity of assessment tools (e.g. European vs. regional level) 5: To reinforce the knowledge concerning uncertainties 6: To consider risk assessment information to ensure bioassessment results

Ecostat 2 Research area 2 : Refining the knowledge about pressure-impacts relationships 1: To clarify the links between hydromorphological pressures and biological responses 2: To investigate more carefully the consequences of sediment contaminations by chemical pollutants on biological communities (from individuals to populations and communities) 3: In the case of multi-pressure contexts, to develop proxies based on existing knowledge and expertise to facilitate the analysis of pressure-impacts relationships

Ecostat 3 Research area 3 : Evolving toward a more functional and holistic approach of aquatic ecosystems 1: To develop functional assessment tools based on trophic networks to complement tools based on community structure attributes – Assess the links with resilience and stability 2 : To investigate the relationships between metacommunities functioning and ecosystems capacity of resilience (migration, immigration/extinction processes) in both reference and disturbed (e.g. fragmented landscapes, high chemical loads in the sediments) contexts 3 : To clarify the links between global changes (climate, fragmentation, exotics) and ecosystem functioning and assessment tools

Ecostat 4 Research area 4 : Reconnecting the socio-economical and biological issues 1 : To reinforce the knowledge on relationships between Good Ecological Status, Biodiversity (taxonomy, functionalities, genetic aspects) and ecological services (including human health and social well-being) 2 : To clarify the links between Good Ecological Potential and socio-economical aspects