1. Task on Harmonisation of Freshwater Biological Methods
Status Report and Future Steps
Presented by Ana Cristina Cardoso
Harmonisation Task Team: JRC - AC Cardoso, G Premazzi, A Solimini, S Poikane, F Martinet (FR), ML Serrano (ES), T Rafael (PT), P Hale (CEN), S Birk (STAR project)

2. Contents of the presentation
Background
Drafting group meeting
Information available
Problems with information
Future steps

3. Origin of the Harmonisation Task
Requirement from the WFD (Annex V 1.3.6) to make use of standards methods for monitoring of water quality elements
River and lake IC expert networks recommendation for harmonisation of the biological monitoring protocols for and possible identification of common metrics
Lack of comparability of national biological assessment systems due to incompatibilities at sampling and analytical levels  need for harmonization of these methodologies

4. ECOSTAT WG2A Meeting 15-17 Oct 2003
Presentation of outline of the initiative on harmonisation of national freshwater biological monitoring systems
Agreement from WG to start an harmonisation activity

5. Objectives Overview of the biological methods currently in use
Evaluate applicability in monitoring and assessment of ecological quality as required by the WFD
Evaluate applicability as common metrics for the purpose of the IC exercise
Identify needs for development of new methods or harmonisation of existing methods (link to CEN)

6. Harmonisation activity support to the GIGs in the IC process
Providing a concise overview of the available and applicable methods
Potential candidates for common metrics

7. Drafting Working group meeting
21-22 June 2004
Agreement of table of contents for the guidance
Evaluation of existing information
Way forward and timetable

8. freshwater biological methods
Contents of Report on harmonisation of
freshwater biological methods
1. Background and purpose of this document
1.1      WFD classification and intercalibration requirements
1.2     Common understanding of ‘common metric’:
1.3   Strengths and weakness of using existing data sets
2. State-of-the-art of biological methods in the EU member countries and CC
2.1  Lakes (JRC)
2.2  Rivers
3. Comparative analysis by EU, GIG
3.1  Lakes
3.2. Rivers

9. Contents 4. ISO and CEN Methods related to the WFD
Existing methods/guidance & standards
Methods under development
CEN procedure for standard development interaction with ECOSTAT
5. Evaluation of the usefulness of existing methods in relation to the WFD
5.1 Determination EQRs
Evaluation within GIGs
5.2  Evaluation their applicability as ‘common metrics’ for intercalibration
GIG identification of possible common metrics
5.3  Needs for method development and harmonisation
5.3.1 Ongoing initiatives – WFD compliant methods in development
6. Conclusive remarks and recommendations

10. Information available
IE - Mostly sampling and sample processing procedures but no information on assessment and classification
Poland -State that lakes are evaluated through a Lake quality evaluation system where physico-chemical and other elements including chl and phytoplankton are considered but without detailing how.

11. Biological monitoring systems
Sampling/
Surveying, lab processing
Metric
Classification
Intercalibration biological assessment method
Harmonisation comparison of biological monitoring systems

12. Data used for quality assessment
IC metadata base of Jan 04

13. IC metadata base of Jan 04

14. IC metadata base of Jan 04

15. IC metadata base of Jan 04

16. Phytoplankton methods reported in the IC metadata

17. Problems to achieve goals
Information incomplete in terms of countries covered and detail of the information supplied, often insufficient and inconsistent;
Currently MS are developing their national biological monitoring systems in compliance with the WFD
After decision of the task on harmonisation, the organization of the IC process has changed to be carried out in GIGs. These have initiated discussions to identify common metrics and are expected to report their decisions in Oct 2004

18. … We believe that the harmonization report will provide a useful tool to MS and GIGs:
Identifying the sources of heterogeneity in the methods, particularly at sampling and metric levels
Making recommendations for IC Common Metrics for each GIG
Establish the link with CEN for development of standard methods

19. … but we need to have access to sound information on the MS methods to achieve robust conclusions/ recommendations and to provide a useful tool for MS/ GIGs

20. Invitation to GIGs
To check the information on biological methods entered in the electronic web interface for the IC metadata
Refine if needed Or
We gathered the information on biological methods in excel tables (CIRCA)
Need to be checked, corrected and fill in with missing information

21. River example General information
Name biological monitoring system (WFDcompliant)
Quality Assessment of Estonian Watercourses using Benthic Macroinvertebrates
Waterview database number 87
Country
Estonia
Pressure
Organic pollution, morphological degradation, acidification, toxic substances, eutrophication, general degradation
Quality element
Benthic invertebrates
comment
The WFD method is under development
Assessment
Category of method (as in Waterview)
Multimetric index
Number of quality classes 5
Sampling
Habitat/ microhabitat
Riffle, all typical substrate
Procedure
For 1 minute 1 minute sweep
device
Handnet
Sampling standard (national and/or international
National standard/ European standard EN
Analysis
Taxonomy (species, Sp. Groups, genus, family, higher taxonomic level)
Abundance/ biomass (units)
Abundance (n. individuals/ m2)
Notes (free text)
Contac person (name and

22. Timetable Issue Date 1st draft 21-22 June 2004
Presentation at the WG2A meeting
7-8 July 2004
Request to fill in tables sent to GIG contact persons
15 July
Tables returned to JRC
15 September
Presentation of results of analysis of collected information in WG2A meeting
7-8 October
Draft reported circulated for comments within drafting group and GIGs
5 November
Comments returned to JRC
19 November
Final report
End of November

23. Harmonisation activity will be possible only with your support
Would you like us to continue with it with the current objectives?
Will it be in time to be useful?