1. Ecological Quality Assessment in the Water Framework Directive
EU Marine Strategy
Working Group “Ecosystem-based Approach”
Brussels, 16 December 2003
Ecological Quality Assessment
in the
Water Framework Directive

2. Key elements
protecting all waters, surface and ground waters in a holistic way
good quality (‘good status’) to be achieved by 2015
integrated water management based on river basins
combined approach of emission controls and water quality standards, plus phasing out of particularly hazardous substances
economic instruments: economic analysis, and getting the prices right - to promote prudent use of water
getting citizens and stakeholders involved: public participation

3. Environmental objectives
Surface water No deterioration; Good ecological, chemical status; phase out hazardous substances; Restoration
Ground water No deterioration;Good qualitative and quantitative status; Balance between abstraction and recharge; Restoration of polluted waters
Protection zones Respect all norms and criteria for the protection zones

4. Water Framework Directive
Concept
Measures under
Water Framework Directive
Coordination of all other measures
drinking water
bathing water
urban
waste
water
nitrates
IPPC &
other
industry
discharges
chemicals
pesticides
biocides
landfills
sewage
sludge

5. Implementation timetable
Transposition into national legislation
Identification of River Basin District
Analysis of pressures, impacts, use
Monitoring programmes operational
Start Consultation with public
River Basin Management Plan
Pricing policies
Programme of measures operational
Environmental objectives

6. River basin districts in Europe
(Status: Nov. 2003)

7. Activities
Information exchange and raising awareness (2002-ongoing)
Developing guidance documents (2002)
Geographical information systems (2002/2003)
Testing in pilot river basins (2003/2004)
=> Manual for integrated river basin management (2004/2005)

8. State-of-play
Progress to date:
Finalisation of 13 guidance documents and four technical reports
Setting up of pilot river basin network currently 15 pilots in 18 countries
Establishment of extensive expert network
Increasing awareness through numerous activities

9. Strategic Co-ordination group “Integrated River Basin Management”
New organisation 2003/2004
Water Directors
Steering of implementation process
Chair: Presidency, Co-chair: Commission
Expert Advisory Forum
1) Priority Substances
2) Groundwater (mid-2003)
Chair: Commission
Art. 21 Committee
Strategic Co-ordination group
Co-ordination of work programme
Chair: Commission
Notes for the Speaker:
Following an extensive work programme with 10 parallel working groups, the work under the Common Implementation Strategy has been restructured.
Since the beginning 2003, four main working groups are addressing the priority working areas under the strategy. The four WGs are set out above. In addition, the Expert Advisory Forum on Priority Substances continues its preparatory work for the future legislation in this area.
The process is guided by the Strategic Coordination Group and driven by the Water Directors. In addition, a Regulatory Committee will deal with the issues under the Directive which require further technical adaptation such as the intercalibration process (Note: the intercalibrtation is the comparison on EU level of the ecological classification schemes which are developed by Member States.)
Working Group 2.A
“Ecological Status”
Lead/Co-lead: D, JRC, UK
Working Group 2.B
“Integrated River Basin Management”
Lead/Co-lead: F, SP (JRC)
Working Group 2.C
“Groundwater”
(after end of EAF GW)
Lead/Co-lead: COM / AT
Working Group 2.D
“Reporting”
Lead: Commission
Stakeholders, NGO’s, Researchers, Experts, etc.

10. Ecological Quality Assessment
With contributions from:
Anna-Stiina Heiskanen and Wouter van de Bund, EC- JRC
Peter Pollard and Claire Vincent (UK)
Ruth Davies (RSPB, UK)

11. What is ecological status?
“Ecological Status" is an expression of the quality of the structure and functioning of aquatic ecosystems associated with surface waters, classified in accordance with Annex V”
WFD Article 2.21

12. Biological Quality Elements
for ecological status
Biological Quality Elements
Hydromorphological
Quality Elements
Chemical and Physico-
Chemical

13. Good Ecological Status
Good ecological status is a condition in which:
Biological quality elements show only slight deviation from the type-specific reference condition
Physico-chemical elements are at levels capable of supporting the functioning of the type-specific ecosystem

14. Biological Quality Elements
Rivers Lakes Trans.w. Coastal w.
Phytoplankton X X X X
Macrophytes X X X X
Zoobenthos X X X X
Fish X X X

15. Assessment of ecological status
WFD requirements:
Characterization of surface waters types (typology)
Type-specific reference conditions for biological QE
Classification using Ecological Quality Ratios based on biological elements
Intercalibration of the Member States biological monitoring results

16. Coastal Typology Framework
WG: COAST: Agreement of common ‘Eurotypes’ based on system B
Mandatory factors
lat, long
tidal range
salinity
Optional factors
exposure
depth
the others

17. Coastal Water Water Bodies As Management Units
(or Compliance Checking Units)
Type B
Type A
Protected
Area
(bathing
beach)
Protected
Area (SAC)
Low
Pressure
Coastal
Water
Significant
Pressure
Transitional
Water
Significant
Pressure
Low
Pressure
(WG COAST - C.Vincent)

18. Reference Conditions
A condition in which a water body has suffered no, or only very minor anthropogenic impacts to its:
Hydromorphology
Physico-chemistry
Biology
Can be in the past or the present
Can be derived from observations, historical data or modelling, or where necessary expert judgement

19. Ecological Quality Ratio
High
Good
Moderate
Poor
Bad 1
Reference value =
EQR
Parameter value
Biological
quality
elements

20. { HIGH GOOD MODERATE POOR BAD ECOLOGICAL STATUS No or very minor
Slight
Moderate
Major
Severe +
Quality Standards
Physico-chemical
Prevent deterioration
Restore

21. Benthic invertebrate community response to organic enrichment
Reference groups dominant but the most sensitive groups may be rare. Impact groups becoming non-rare
Significant shifts in balance of community apparent (e.g. co-dominance of reference and impact groups)
Impact tolerant groups dominating. Sensitive reference groups rare
Community severely impoverished. Dominated by very tolerant taxa
Relative abundance of groups of taxa V I II IV
III
Increasing pressure (e.g. organic enrichment)
I, II, III, IV, V = Groups of invertebrate taxa. Taxa assigned to groups according to sensitivity/tolerance
Angel Borja

22. Process of class boundary setting
Water bodies at risk
Type specific
reference conditions
Characterisation and risk assessment (Annex II)
2004
Setting class boundaries
Intercalibration
(Annex V, 1.4.1)
2003-6
Operational
Surveillance
Monitoring program-mes (Annex V)
2006
Ecological classification of all surface water bodies
First River Basin Management Plan (Annex VII)
2009
Poor and bad status defined
by Member States

23. Objectives of intercalibration
Common interpretation of “good ecological status”, setting targets for restoration and protection
Class boundaries consistent and comparable among MS
Harmonized classification based on Ecological Quality Ratios (EQR)
high
good
moderate
poor
bad 1 OK
Restoration
needed
EQR

24. Intercalibration process
Commission
IC data base
Publishing (Dec/06)
Data (Jan/05-
Jun/06)
Reporting
(Jun/06)
Member States’
assessment
system
Potential
additional
sampling
Sites selected for
intercalibration
(2003/4)
Classification of
intercalibration
site (EQR-value)
Member State

25. Draft Intercalibration Register
915 sites over Europe
~ 10 % Coastal
~ 30 % Lakes
~ 60 % Rivers

26. Conclusion
WFD will provide a mandatory ecologicial classification scheme which is comparable throughout Europe
Major scientific and administrative challenge in particular as regards timetable
Covers “only coastal, not all marine waters“
Is this a building block for an “ecosystem-based approach“?

27. EU Research Programmes
FRAMEWORK V
The Development and Testing of an Integrated Assessment System for the Ecological Quality of Streams and Rivers throughout Europe using Benthic Macroinvertebrates (COMPLETED)t
STAndardisation of River Classifications: Framework Method for Calibrating Different Biological Survey Results Against Ecological Quality classifications to be developed for the Water Framework Directive (ON-GOING) t
Development, Evaluation and Implementation of a Standardised Fish-based Assessment Method for the Ecological Status of European Rivers
(ON-GOING)

28. EU Research Programmes
FRAMEWORK V (cont.)
ECOFRAME: Ecological Quality and functioning of shallow lake ecosystems (completed)
Development of WFD compatible classification system for shallow lakes
CHARM: Characterization of the Baltic Sea Ecosystem: Dynamics and Function of Coastal Types
development and testing of ecologically relevant typology, with identification of key biological indicators and their reference conditions (on-going)

29. http://www.europa.eu.int/comm/ environment/water
More information
On water policy:
environment/water
WFD CIRCA Information Exchange Platform (incl. guidance documents):
Public/irc/env/wfd/library
JRC - European Centre for Ecology and intercalibration
Notes for the Speaker:
More information on the Directive, the implementation process and also the guidance documents are available on the internet.