1. Author: DG Environment Presented by Ana Cristina Cardoso
Development of European standard methods for monitoring the ecological quality elements required by the Water Framework Directive
Author: DG Environment
Presented by Ana Cristina Cardoso

2. Objectives
Presentation of the document on the development of standards for monitoring of quality elements for the assessment of water status defined in the Water Framework Directive
Seek endorsement of the proposed collaboration with CEN/TC 230 by ECOSTAT WG A

3. Document Status Version no.: 3.0 Date: 29 September 2005
Status of agreement: The document has been discussed with CEN in a meeting on 14 September 2005
The document is intended to establish and agree a process to develop standards to support the water status assessment following the WFD. The objective is to develop standards that would be added to the list on Section of Annex V of the WFD, following Article 20 of the WFD
The document will clarify the role of each participant in the process, namely CEN/TC 230, DG Environment, the WFD Common Implementation Strategy and the WFD Article 21 Regulatory Committee
The document will be also presented to the SCG and WFD Committee meetings in October 2005

4. Stepwise procedure to develop Standards methods to support
ecological status assessment defined in the WFD

5. Step 1: Identification and proposal of the standard(s) to be developed
The WFD CIS Harmonisation group identify needs for development of standard(s)
Depending on the subject of the standards proposed, the WGs (WG A ECOSTAT, WG C on Groundwater, future WG E on Priority Substances or the Expert group on Chemical Monitoring) may put forward proposals
The proposals should outline the method, defining its scope, expected content and main information sources
Time should be allowed for the WG members to provide written comments on the proposals,which should be presented and approved in a regular WG meeting

6. Step 2: Present the proposal to the CIS Strategic SCG
To get the Support of the SCG
If no agreement is reached!
DG Env may decide to put the issue forward to the WFD Committee for voting
If more strategic and principle issues of disagreement are identified, DG Env may decide to request the opinion of the Water Directors on how to pursue this matter in the context of the WFD implementation

7. Step 3: Endorsement by the WFD Committee
The WFD Committee will be informed about the agreements at the SCG and formally will endorse the standard development as part of the work programme of the Committee

8. Step 4: DG Env request to CEN
Where appropriate/necessary, DG Env will formulate a description of the work which needs to be carried out
This can include the financial support of the standardisation work
In the framework of the existing agreements between CEN and the Commission, it will be decided in what precise form the request should be made to CEN and the financial modalities

9. Step 5: CEN develops the standard
The timeframe for the development of any new mandated standards should be presented to and agreed by DG Env
During the development phase, CEN will keep the relevant CIS WGs, SCG and the WFD Committee informed about the progress. A progress report should be made by CEN at least once a year
On the technical aspects of the standard, there must be regular opportunities for the relevant CIS WGs to provide comments
At the same time, regular project management meetings should take place between DG Env and CEN

10. Step 6: Commission Decision adapting Section 1.3.6 of Annex V
Before a standard is adopted by CEN, there should be an opportunity for written comment by the WFD Committee
Once the standard is adopted by CEN, DG Environment will put it forward to the WFD Regulatory Committee for voting the Commission Decision to update the list in Section of Annex V of the WFD and include the new standard as part of the regulatory requirement of the WFD

11. Proposed interactions between CIS and CEN
If liaisons are agreed to seek approval from CEN/TC 230 and WG 2 for liaison member status for WG A, DG Env
To review current programme and establish a joint priority list for standardisation

12. Timeframe for collaboration between CIS and CEN
March report back to WG A on workshop outcomes
May Discuss workshop outcomes with DG Env
May Any proposals for inclusion in Annex V of WFD to SCG and Water Directors
June Report to back CEN groups on progress with collaboration with CIS WG A and DG Env
Summer Commence negotiation of possible mandates with DG Env & DG Enterprise
October Proposals for mandates to SCG for consideration
November Workshop with DG Env partners to consider R&D opportunities under FP 7 in support of priority areas for future standardisation relating to CIS priorities

13. Harmonisation Group
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)
FROM NOW …
Ana Cristina Cardoso; JRC-IES
Peter Hale; CEN
ECOSTAT leaders/ Intercalibration Steering Group

14. CEN process and progress
Procedure towards prioritisation of the development of WFD relevant standard of methods starts from today!
CEN process and progress
Presented by Peter Hale

15. Comité Européen de Normalisation
Technical Committee 230 deals with water analysis
Is one of over 200 committees dealing with EU standardisation
Supported by experts from regulatory agencies, academia and other experts nominated by national member bodies
TC 230 meets once per year
Most of work is electronic & meetings resolve outstanding issues
The common theme is that experts work for free

16. Structure of CEN/TC 230

17. The standardisation process

18. Published CEN ecology standards
Reference
Title
Published
Comment EN
Water quality –Sampling- Part 1: Guidance on the design of sampling programmes ( ISO :1980)
1993 EN
Water quality – Sampling – Part 2: Guidance on sampling techniques (ISO :1991) EN
Water quality – Sampling – Part 3: Guidance on the preservation and handling of water samples
2003
EN 27828
Water quality – Methods of biological sampling - Guidance on handnet sampling of aquatic benthic macro-invertebrates (ISO 7828:1985)
1994
Under revision
EN 28265
Water quality – Methods of biological sampling – Guidance on the design and use of quantitative samplers for benthic macro-invertebrates on stony substrata in shallow freshwaters (ISO 8265:1988)
EN ISO
Water quality – Sampling guidance on the preservation and handling of samples (ISO :1994)
1995
EN ISO 9391
Water Quality – Sampling in deep waters for macro-invertebrates – Guidance on the use of colonization, qualitative and quantitative samples (ISO 9391:1993)
EN ISO
Water quality – Sampling – Part 16: Guidance on biotesting of samples (ISO :1998)
1998

19. Published CEN ecology standards
Reference
Title
Published
Comment
EN ISO
Water quality – Biological classification of rivers – Part 1: Guidance on the interpretation of biological quality data from surveys of benthic macro-invertebrates in running waters (ISO :2000)
2000
Under review
EN ISO
Water quality – Biological classification of rivers – Part 2: Guidance on the presentation of biological quality data from surveys of benthic macro-invertebrates (ISO :2000)
EN 14184
Water quality – Guidance standard for the surveying of aquatic macrophytes in running waters
2003
EN 13946
Water quality – Guidance standard for the routine sampling and pre-treatment of benthic diatoms from rivers
EN 14407
Water quality – Guidance standard for the identification, enumeration and interpretation of benthic diatom samples from running waters
EN 14011
Water quality – Sampling of fish with electricity
EN 14614
Water quality – Guidance standard for assessing the hydromorphological features of rivers
2004
EN ISO 16665
Water quality – Guidelines for quantitative investigations of marine soft-bottom benthic fauna in the marine environment
2005 in ISO
Under publication in CEN

20. CEN ecology standards under development
TG Reference
Work item
Comment WI
Water Quality – Guidance standard for the surveying of macrophytes in lakes
Draft prEN
prEN 14962
Water Quality – Guidance on the scope and selection of fish sampling methods.
Formal vote procedure
ISO/CD 19493
Water Quality – Guidance on marine biological surveys of littoral and sublittoral hard bottom
CEN lead
prEN 15204
Water Quality – Guidance standard for routine analysis of phytoplankton abundance and composition using inverted microscopy (Utermöhl technique)
prEN 14996
Water Quality – Guidance on assuring the quality of biological and ecological assessments in the aquatic environment
prEN 15110
Water Quality – Guidance standard for the routine sampling of zooplankton from standing waters

21. CEN ecology standards under development (continued)
TG Reference
Work item
Comment
prEN 15196
Water Quality – Guidance on the sampling and processing of the pupal exuviae of Chironomidae (Order Diptera) for ecological assessment
Formal vote procedure
Water quality – Guidance on the design of multimetrics
Working document
Water quality – Guidance on pro-rata multihabitat sampling of benthic invertebrates
ISO/DIS 16712
Water quality – Determination of acute toxicity of marine or estuarine sediments to amphipods
Unique acceptance procedure
ISO/DIS 20079
Water quality – determination of the toxic effects of water constituents and waste water to duckweed (Lemna minor) – Duckweed growth inhibition test
prEN ISO 19493
Water quality – Guidance on marine biological surveys of littoral hard bottom
Awaiting translation
PrEN 14757
Water quality – Guidance on the use of multimesh gill nets

22. Potential future work
Water quality – Assessing river quality based on hydromorphological features 
Guidance on field & laboratory procedures for processing samples of benthic macroinvertebrate from surface freshwaters
Water quality – Guidance standard on the use of multiple-organism groups in bioassessment
Water quality – Guidance standard for the surveying, sampling and laboratory analysis of phytobenthos in shallow running water”
Water quality – Guidance on the estimation of algal biovolume
Water quality – Guidance standard on the quantification and use of performance characteristics in ecological assessment
Water quality – design and analysis of interlaboratory calibration studies for ecological assessment

23. Potential future work (continued)
Water quality – Guidance on the usability and development of biological identification keys and guides
TG 6
Guidance on fish based classification systems
TG 4
Guidance on Seine netting of fish
Guidance on the use of hydroacoustics for fish population studies
Guidance on lake habitat assessemnt
TG 5
Guidance on marine habitat assessment
TG 5/TG 7
Guidance on sampling, storage and preservation of algal samples
TG 3/TG 7
Guidance on in vivo fluorimetric estimation of chlorophyll a