Overview of WFD key issues and research needs in Europe Activity leaders: NL and ES Marc de Rooy, RIZA, NL Jornadas sobre la Aplicación de la Directiva Marco del Agua

Outline Introduction to the activity WFD key issues Research issues

Background End of 2004, insight needed: What issues are MS facing when implementing the WFD? What should be dealt with at EU level? What research issues are relevant? Overview needed quickly!

Activity: WFD key issues and research needs All issuesIssues with EU relevance (policy issues and research needs) Research needs June 2005November 2005 Step 2Step 1Step 3 Phase 1Phase 2

Key issues Questionnaire on the basis of the IMPRESS guidance Input from all EU member states, Norway, and Iceland. Questions on pressures on the water system and on ‘other obstacles’.

Results

Agriculture most important issue Hydromorphology also important At a distance: –Municipal wastewater, –Industrial wastewater, –Reduction in flow –Other issues Hardly issues with prevalence for certain EU region (exemption: reduction in flow)

Agriculture Issue of concern to many countries; up to 85% in rivers and 77% in groundwater High average weightings, from 3.7 groundwater to 3.4 in rivers. Confirmed by the PoM, where 24 of 26 countries reported agriculture to be a topic

Morphology Flow management and river management (general terms): 65% Specific issues higher, up to 88% for ‘physical alteration of the channel’. Weighting is high, several issues at 3.0, and up to 3.2. High score is confirmed by question on PoM: 21 countries indicate measures

Households Broadly reported, up to 92% for ‘municipal wastewater’ Weighting is lower, none reaches at 3.0, though several rank 2.9 Topic also mentioned often in the PoM question: 22 out of 26

Industry No scores higher than 70%. High scores: Chemicals and Pulp paper and boards. Only high weightings were few countries reported. Other higher weightings: Chemical industry, Iron and steel, Food processing industry. Individual countries report high weightings for specific sectors

Reduction in flow Abstractions for agriculture and for drinking water supply broadly reported, but lowly weighted

Other issues High score for ‘landfill and waste’ Average weightings low, but high in individual cases. Exception: ‘climate change’; considered as issue, effects not well known. Issue reported in PoM: atmospheric deposition (including long distance air pollution)

Other obstacles (no direct impact on the water system) Data availability, data formats and the level of aggregation of data International level also “upstream- downstream” Communication about the WFD implementation Several knowledge gaps

EU Water Directors Common Implementation Strategy Water Directors Steering of implementation process Chair: Presidency, Co-chair: Commission Strategic Co-ordination Group Co-ordination of work programme Chair: Commission Expert Advisory Forum “Flood Protection” Art. 21 Committee Stakeholders, NGO’s, Researchers, Experts, etc. Working Group A “Ecological Status” Working Group B “Integrated River Basin Management” Working Group D “Reporting” Working Group E “Priority Substances” Working Group C “Groundwater” "GIS” Expert Network “Chemical Monitoring” Strategic Steering Group “WFD and Hydromorphology” Strategic Steering Group “WFD and Agriculture”

WFD key issues and research needs All issuesIssues with EU relevance (policy issues and research needs) Research needs June 2005November 2005 Step 2Step 1Step 3 Phase 2

Research issues Water resources management Groundwater management Knowledge on physical processes Knowledge on ecological processes Monitoring Pressure impact relations Data management Measures assessment WFD policy questions Policy assessment Socio economic issues

Matching questions with research I

Matching questions with research II Only currently executed research projects are taken into account (people can be contacted) Most issues are covered by one or more research projects Coverage differs per issue category:

An uneasy relationship…

WD conclusions and recommendations The Water Directors: endorsed the document on “WFD Key Issues-Phase II” agreed to disseminate it widely (merging Phase I+II) took over the recommendation to involve representatives of research projects in the CIS Working Groups agreed to deliver the outputs of the work on research needs as an active input for WISE-RTD

Thank you! Final document available at Circa: /thematic_documents/integrated_management&vm=detailed&sb=Title