1. Guidelines to translate the intercalibration results into the national classification systems and to derive reference conditions Presented by Wouter van de Bund Joint Research Centre Institute for Environment and Sustainability

2. Draft Commission Decision publishing the intercalibration results
General structure envisaged:
Commission Decision, completed with 2007 results
[formal Committee opinion expected autumn 2007]
Guidelines on implementation of Annex II and V
Technical report (JRC)
[final draft expected autumn 2007]

3. Guidelines Two main issues: Setting of reference conditions
Essential for EQR based boundaries
based on earlier agreed “boundary setting protocol”
Translation of the IC results into national classification systems
Applicability of results to water body types
Interpretation of ranges (e.g. for Chl-a)
Guidelines for MS who have not intercalibrated their national methods yet
Draft sent out to ECOSTAT 29 March 2007

4. Guidelines – way forward
discussion of the first draft and establishment of ad hoc drafting group - ECOSTAT meeting April
written comments by ECOSTAT members to EEWAI - 20 April
second draft (produced by drafting group) sent to WFD Committee – 4 May
discussion in WFD Committee - 16 May

5. 1. Translation of intercalibration results into national classification systems
(drafted by W. van de Bund and Sandra Poikane, JRC)

6. 1.1: Intercalibration establishes HG and GM class boundaries for MS classification systems
1.2: Division into QE, GIG
1.3: Results are incomplete; tables showing different categories of results:
- full results (QE level)
- partial results (parameter level)
- no results

7. 1. 4: Results as EQRs linking boundaries to reference conditions
1.4: Results as EQRs linking boundaries to reference conditions. MS should use IC results when setting boundaries for national classification systems. RC should be set following specific guidelines in Section 2
1.5: Class boundaries apply to national types corresponding to common IC types. For national types not covered by common IC types the same boundary setting procedure should be followed

8. Specific guidelines for QE level results
1.6 HG and GM boundaries for MS classification systems included in the Decision can be directly applied
1.7 MS included in the GIG that do not have results incuded in the Decision must set boundaries in accordance with the IC outcome following the GIG procedures
1.8 MS that wish to modify a method included in the Decision may do so, but must set boundaries in accordance with the IC outcome following the GIG procedures

9. Specific guidelines for parameter level results
1.9 QE included in the Decision at parameter level are not fully intercalibrated. MS must combine these with other parameters in such a way that classification is indicative of the full QE. MS have to demonstrate that the results of the IC exercise are properly taken into account when setting boundaries

10. 1.10 IC results at parameter level apply to common types within the GIG, and do not only inlclude EQR boundary values but also numerical values for those parameters
1.11 EQR boundaries are presented as fixed values; numerical values are in many cases given as ranges, because IC types often cover many national types
1.12 When a range is given, MS should set reference values for national types following GIG specific procedures, and apply the boundary EQR values making sure that boundaries are within the ranges given in the Decision

11. 2. Guidelines for deriving reference conditions
(drafted by P. Pollard, UK)

12. 2.1 WFD provides MS with different options for establishing type-specific RC
2.2 Use of spatial networks of reference sites is expected to be most reliable and is the preferred option where practicable

13. Establishment of a spatial network of reference sites (1)
2.3 Sites in a spatial network should meet the criteria in (a) and (b), or where appropriate (c):
(a) pressures capable of affecting hydromorphological and physicochemical conditions cause no or very minor disturbance
(b) upstream/downstream pressures affection migration of aquatic fauna have no or barely distinguishable effects
(c) sites with greater pressure than consisten with (a) and (b) may be used provided that the biological element for which the site is used is not expected to be affected

14. Establishment of a spatial network of reference sites (2)
2.4 MS should consider both ongoing hunan activities and legacies of past activities
2.5 ‘Low intensity’ human pressure refers to a scale typical to the situation prior to large scale urbanisation, industrialisation and agricultural intensification
2.6 Before including a site in a spatial network of reference sites, MS should:
- make a survey of pressures in order to obtain confidence that points (a) and (b) are met
- Review biological monitoring data for the site and reject when the element is in worse condition than expected

15. Establishment of a spatial network of reference sites (3)
2.7 When carrying out these tests MS should ensure that data is collected using standardised methods and quality assurance procedures
2.8 When existing data is used to derive RC, MS should ensure that data is suitably comparable and make appropriate conversion where needed
2.9 Spatial network should be large enough to:
- confidently estimate reference value
- determine whether or not natural variation in the element is too great to establish type-specific RC

16. Establishment of a spatial network of reference sites (4)
2.10 Where a MS has insufficient reference sites to reliably derive RC it should explore potential to utilise information form sites in other MS territory, making sure that the comparability of those sites is considered (e.g. climatic conditions) and taken into account when deriving reference values
2.11 RC will not be reliable if their use would result in an unacceptable risk of misclassification
2.12 Where natural spatial variation in reference conditions is too large MS should consider to narrow down their types
2.13 MS may elect too use data from reference sites in combination with modelling approaches to reduce natural spatial variability
2.14 It may not be possible to establish reliable RC if the natural temporal variability in a QE is too large; MS should than assess whether reliable RC could be established by using data from particular seasons

17. Modelling approaches
2.15 Modelling approaches may be used on their own or to improve confidence in spatial approaches
2.16 Models should be designed to estimate biological values under conditions described in 2.3 (a) and (b)
2.17 MS should ensure that models provide sufficient level of confidence about reference values. To ensure this MS should compare model predictions with data from known reference sites, historical data or paleological data and/or undertake appropriate sensitivity analysis

18. Expert Judgement
2.18 MS should only base RC on expert judgement where it is not possible to use a spatial network or modelling
2.19 MS should use different types of information from a range of sources, including monitoring data and relevant information on background levels identified by international conventions, to improve confidence in understanding how the biological element repsonds to pressure

19. Updating Reference Conditions
2.20 MS should review and where necessary revise RC when updating the analysis of characteristics of river basin districts (Art. 5)
2.21 In considering whether to revise RC, MS should take account of:
- improved scientific understanding of effects of human activities on biota
- better information on pressure
- better information on conditions of biota at reference sites including long-term variation (e.g. due to climatic variations)
- information from additional reference sites
2.22 MS shall include a description of the range of variability of reference valuse for their types in the RBMP. Where RC are revised such revisions should be described in the next update of the relevant RMBP