1. Update on legal issues Strategic Co-ordination Group 7-8 May 2009
Jorge Rodriguez Romero
WFD Team, DG ENV.D.2, European Commission

2. Contents WFD transposition non-conformity cases
Follow-up to Commission 2nd Implementation Report Monitoring Programmes
GWD transposition non-communication cases
Update on GW threshold values questionnaire – preparation of Commission report 2009

3. Water Framework Directive Non-Conformity cases
17 Letters of Formal Notice sent – 16 replies (CZ, DE, DK, EE, IE, ES, FR, LT, LV, HU, PL, RO, SI, SK, FI, SE, UK)
Positive dialogue initiated from many MS
Water Service issue still key concern
Under review (IT, LU, BE, NL, BG)

4. Follow-up Commission Report WFD Monitoring Programmes
The report identified gaps in many Member States, mainly due to :
Lack of monitoring programmes for specific river basin districts or water categories
Lack of development of assessment methods for ecological status
Other specific issues that need clarification
Letters under preparation

5. Update on RBMP consultations
Austria started consultations on 27 April 2009

6. Ground Water Directive Non-Communication cases
Transposition due on 16 January 2009
Communication received: BG, LV, LT, NL, PT, RO, SE
20 Letters of Formal Notice sent early April 2009 :
3 have replied since, replies under consideration (IE, IT, MT)
Partial communication (BE, FR)
No news (AT, CZ, CY, DK, DE, EE, EL, ES, FI, LU, HU, PL, SI, SK, UK)
Conformity checking to begin later in 2009

7. Update on preparation of Commission Report on GW threshold values
Questionnaire
21 delivered / 3 later (LU, FI, DK) / 3 no reply (EL, LV, MT)
The filled questionnaires will be put in CIRCA (unless objection from MS by 15 May)
Main issues
- mostly drinking water standards + some based on ecotoxicology
- background levels taken into consideration
- 191 substances, 134 responsible for risk, 69 responsible for poor status
- 12 MS more stringent TVs for nitrates than quality standard (18-50 mg/l)
- big differences between TVs for the same substance