1. EIONET and EUROWATERNET Common Implementation Strategy
in the context of the
Common Implementation Strategy
for the Water Framework Directive

2. Water Framework Directive
Environmental objectives Good status for all waters by 2015
Analysis of water status Pressures and impacts; economic analysis
River Basin Management Plan with program of measures including existing Directives Main instrument for planning and reporting
Water Pricing Policies operational 2010 Instrument supporting environmental objectives
Public participation Participation not information

3. Shared challenges
Ambitious objectives and demanding timetable
Risks of wrong application because of complexity of the technical requirements
Large shared river basins (Danube, Elbe, Odra)
Capacity of administrations
New implementation strategy required

4. History
December 2000 Directive adopted
Commissioner immediately committed her services to proactive co-operation with Member States, Candidate Countries and Stakeholders
Agreement of Member States, Norway and Commission on the Strategy in Sweden on 2-4 May 2001 with involvement of all Candidate Countries

5. Objectives
Efficient, coherent and comparable implementation
Coherence and comparability
Common understanding and approach
Joint efforts and activities
Limit risks of bad application
Share experience and information
Develop guidance
Improve information management

6. Activities
Information exchange and raising awareness
Developing guidance documents
Geographical information systems
Testing in pilot river basins
Manual for integrated river basin management

7. Strategic Co-ordination group
General Organization
Water Directors
Steering of implementation process
Chair: Presidency, Co-chair: Commission
Stakeholders NGO’s, Experts, etc.
Strategic Co-ordination group
Co-ordination of work programme
Chair: Commission
Expert Advisory Forum
Priority Substances
Chair: Commission
WG 2.1: Analysis of pressures and impacts
Lead: UK ,Germany
WG2.5: Intercalibration
Lead: JRC Ispra
Expert Advisory Forum
Groundwater
Chair: Commission
WG 2.3:Reference conditions inland surface waters
Lead: Sweden
WG2.7: Monitoring
Lead: Italy, EEA
WG2.6: Economic analysis
Lead: France, Commission
WG2.4: Typology, class. of transitional, coastal waters
Lead: UK, EEA
WG2.8: Tools on assess., classific. of Groundwater
Lead: Austria
Expert Advisory Forum
Reporting
Chair: Commission
WG2.2: Heavily modified water bodies
Lead: Germany , UK
WG2.9: Best practice in river basin planning
Lead: Spain
WG3.1: Geographical Information Systems
Lead: JRC Ispra

8. EAF Reporting

9. EAF Reporting
Background + process
Revision of existing reporting under water legislation and development of future reporting under WFD
Covering all pieces of water legislation
First meeting on 7 February 2002
Next meeting 21 May 2002
Working paper incl. work programme 2002 – 2004 available

10. Considerations
existing reporting obligations (Standardised Reporting + other directives)
transition period
WFD requirements
access to information (Åarhus)
other reporting activities (INSPIRE, international, EEA …)

11. Objectives
Discuss & make proposals on:
data & information collection
avoid duplication
efficient use
access to validated data & information
transition from old directives data requirement to the WFD ones
streamlining the reporting process
Prepare reports / recommendations

12. Reporting timetable

13. Commission reports on Water

14. (SRD Reporting periods 96-98, 99-01)
Existing situation
2000 & 2003
EoI
BWD FD
SFD
GWD
DWD
SWD
DSD
UWWD
NiD
(SRD Reporting periods 96-98, 99-01)
Synthesis Report
Individual Reports

15. Existing reporting continues (2008-2013)
Under WFD regime
2006
Progress Report on analysis
2008
Progress Report on monitoring
2012
Report on WFD Implementation
DSD (New)
(Every 6 years)
2015
Report on WFD Implementation - Interim
(Every 6 years)
Existing reporting continues ( ) FD
SFD
GWD
DWD
BWD
UWWD
NiD
DSD
(Old)

16. (SRD Reporting periods 02-04, 05-07) Reviewed Questionnaires?
Transition
2006 & 2009
EoI
BWD FD
SFD
GWD SW
DWD
UWWD
NiD
(SRD Reporting periods 02-04, 05-07)
DSD
(Old)
Grouped Reports ?
Reviewed Questionnaires?
Individual Reports

17. INfrastructure for SPatial InfoRmation in Europe
INSPIRE
INfrastructure for SPatial InfoRmation in Europe
Legislation on Infrastructure for spatial information
Thematic information layers
Horizontal elements
Natura 2000
Water
nitrate vulnerable zones
water body characterisation
...
Land use
Transport network
Data policy
Standardised architecture
Reference data layers
...
EEA Co-ordination
Existing working groups
INSPIRE working groups
JRC Co-ordination

18. EAF Work Programme
Preparatory work (2002)
Revision of existing questionnaires (2002/2003)
Preparation of reporting obligations under WFD ( )
Preparation of reporting obligations of other water directives after transition period (2004)

19. EEA, EIONET and EUROWATERNET WFD Common Implementation Strategy
Contribution of
EEA, EIONET and EUROWATERNET
to the
WFD Common Implementation Strategy

20. EEA+ETC involvement
Co-lead of WG 2.7 on monitoring
Active role in all other WGs and EAFs
Important role of co-ordination with other parallel activities, in particular in EAF Reporting
Bilateral discussions with DG ENV on co-ordination of activities

21. Role of EUROWATERNET
Useful tool and good starting point
However, insufficient to cover all WFD needs
Further developments necessary
Harmonisation of EWN criteria with WFD requirements
Link to GIS, INSPIRE and COM reporting activ.
Integration as part of a wider approach
 Information System for European River Basin

22. Future process
How to get towards an “Information System for European River Basin”?
Close co-operation and joint leadership of COM (DG ENV+JRC) and EEA
Harmonisation and streamlining of reporting
Input into the WFD implementation process, in particular EAF Reporting
EIONET co-ordination with WFD activities

23. Access to information
WFD CIRCA Interest Group
Includes all information and documents of the WFD Common Implementation Strategy
Similar to EIONET-CIRCLE but different username and password required
Access possible through “self-registration”
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