1. Philippe QUEVAUVILLER
General introduction about WFD ecological and chemical status monitoring and related working groups & research activities
Philippe QUEVAUVILLER
CMA Workshop
Pau, May 2008
European Commission - DG Environment
Unit D.2: Water and Marine

2. The water Management cycle closely relies on measurements
Information needs
Information utilisation
Assessment strategy
Assessment and reporting
Monitoring programme
Data analysis
Sample collection
Data handling
Laboratory analysis

3. WFD RBMP Adopted on 20.12.2000 River basin districts
Delineation water bodies
Analysis of pressures
and impacts
Classification of bodies ‘at risk’
Design of monitoring
programmes
Account of classification:
Surveillance monitoring
Operational monitoring
(+ investigative monitoring)
6 years cycle / Review
RBMP
GOOD STATUS
OBJECTIVE
Programmes of
measures

4. Good status objective
Chemical status for all waters, based on compliance to defined quality standards
Ecological status concerning only surface waters (‘ecosystem health’)
Quantitative status concerning only groundwaters (balance between natural recharge and abstraction)

5. Surface waters (rivers, lakes, coastal and transitional waters)
Good chemical status objective linked to compliance to Environmental Quality Standards (EQS) for priority substances – New Directive under negotiation due for adoption by the end of 2008 (concerns water, sediment and biota)
Good ecological status concerning the health of the aquatic ecosystems (population, species, taxonomy) linked to intercalibration that will lead to a Commission Decision
Complemented by aspects of hydromorphology

6. Groundwater
Good chemical status objective linked to compliance to EU wide Groundwater Quality Standards for nitrates and pesticides, and ‘Threshold Values’ to be established by Member States by the end of 2008 (common criteria, knowledge of groundwater systems, results of analysis of pressures and impacts etc.) under the ‘daughter groundwater directive’
Good quantitative status based on average balance of natural recharge and abstraction
No saline or other intrusions

7. Chemical monitoring
Surveillance monitoring for identifying water bodies at risk and for bodies classified as ‘not at risk’ – “light” monitoring concerning a limited set of parameters, with an adapted frequency over the RBMP cycle
Operational monitoring for water bodies at risk, with focus on pollutants that characterise the risks (NB: all pollutants are concerned) – High frequency, rely on sound analytical measurements
Trend studies linked to the above, with legally binding requirements (for groundwater) to identify and reverse ‘statistically and environmentally’ significant trends
Investigative monitoring in case of accidents or unknown cause of deterioration

8. Ecological monitoring
Monitoring for quality elements for the classification of ecological status (issued from the intercalibration exercise) and normative definitions (for high, good and moderate water status)
Comparability of biological monitoring results, and classification of ecological status and ecological potential
For both the chemical and ecological monitoring, the process will be fed by new data and will be iterative: improvements to be planned and implemented according to the reviewing framework. Clear links with R&D

9. Common Implementation (CIS)
Series of expert working groups under
The umbrella of a SCG and EU Water Directors
WG A ‘ ECOSTAT’
WG C ‘ GROUNDWATER’
WG E ‘PRIORITY
SUBSTANCES’
Chemical Monitoring
Activity (CMA)
Links to RTD activities (SSP)
REBECCA
BRIDGE
SWIFT-WFD
EAQC-WISE
Other relevant monitoring-related RTD projects
SedNET
AQUATERRA
NORMAN
RISKBASE

10. The way forward
Need for legally-binding rules regarding QA/QC aspects, including for field methods – this is the aim of the draft QA/QC Commission Directive (vote tomorrow)
Needs for strengthened exchanges and guidance as coordinated under the CMA, with in particular a published guidance on groundwater monitoring, an interim guidance on surface waters (pending the PS Directive negotiation) and a developed guidance on sediment and biota
Needs for on-going research about development of new analytical methods (e.g. linked to emerging pollutants), including field methods, standardisation (mandate to CEN), QA/QC, including method validation (hence interest for ‘field validation’)
Needs for implementation through specific activities (e.g. laboratory or field PT schemes, development of reference materials, training etc.)

11. Open questions
On the short term ( ) the adoption of the ‘QA/QC Directive’ will raise awareness not only of routine laboratories but also of data users: what should be done in terms of implementation? How to establish a ‘QA/QC’ strategy regarding PT schemes including field measurements?
On the medium term ( ) the RBMP will strengthen multidisciplinary developments, hopefully leading to sound programmes of measures: what type of research should be undertaken to ensure improved monitoring in view of further reviews?
On the long term (2012 and beyond) multistakeholder partnerships should lead to enhanced exchanges about QA/QC, standardisation and methods for measuring emerging pollutants: what could we do to establish a sustainable coordination on environmental metrology (including chemical and biological measurements)?