1. Lake Windermere THE STANDARDISATION PROCESS IN CEN Roger Sweeting
Freshwater Biological Association
Windermere, UK
Brussels:
31st Jan – 1st Feb 2006

2. Organisation of the Main Committees within the CEN System
General Assembly (AG) 28 National Members (1 member = 1 vote)
+ Obs.: Affiliates, Associates, Counsellors
Task Forces and
Working Groups
Administrative Board (CA) 28 National Members (1 member = 1 vote) + Open session: Associates, Counsellors
CACC1 Financial Affairs
Technical Board (BT) 28 National Members (1 member = 1 vote) + Obs: Sector Rapporteurs, Assoc., Counsellors
CACC1 External Policy
Standards Distribution Group (SD)
Certification Board (CCB)
Working groups
IT Group
Scheme Development
Groups
Technical Committee
Management Group
Technical Committees
Task Forces and
Working Groups
CEN Management Centre (CMC)
CEN Workshops
Working Groups and Project Teams
Project Teams
1 CA Consultative Committee

4. Biological & Ecological
Structure of CEN/TC 230
CEN/TC 230
Water Analysis
Working Group 2
Biological & Ecological
Assessment Methods
TG1
Invertebrates
TG 3
Macrophytes
& Algae
TG 4
Fish Methods
TG 5
Waterbody
Characteristics
TG 6
Quality
Assurance
TG 7
Marine
Ecological
Methods
Ad hoc
Strategy

5. The Standardisation Process

6. 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

7. 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
EN 14757
Water quality – Sampling of fish with multimesh gill nets
2005
Comments October 2005

8. 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
PrEN – out for
consultation until
30th November 2005
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
(now approved)

9. 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

10. CEN-Standards in Progress (2005, May)WI
Water quality – Guidance on data collation, interpretation and classification of running waters based on aquatic
macrophytes.
prEN 15204
Water quality – Guidance standard for routine microscopic surveys of phytoplankton abundance and composition using
inverted microscopy (Utermöhl technique).
prEN 15110
Water quality – Guidance standard for the routine sampling of zooplankton from standing waters.
prEN 14962
Water quality – Guidance on the scope and selection of fish sampling methods.
prEN 16665
Water quality – Guidelines for quantitative investigations of marine soft-bottom benthic fauna in the marine e nvironment
(ISO/DIS 16665).
WI??? N72 E
Water quality – Guidance standard for surveying of benthic macro-invertebrates in lentic waters.
prEN 15196
Water quality – Guidance on the sampling and processing of the pupal exuviae of Chironomidae (Order Diptera) for
ecological assessment.
prEN 14996
Water quality – Guidance on assuring the quality of biological and ecological assessments in aquatic environment.
prEN 14393
Water quality – Guidance on quality assurance aspects of aquatic macrophytes surveying and analysis in running waters.
prEN 8692
Water quality – Fresh water algal growth inhibition test with unicellular green algae (ISO/DIS 8692).
ISO/FDIS 20079
Water quality – Determination of the toxic effects of water constituents and waste water to duckweed (Lemna minor) –
Duckweed growth inhibition test. (UAP-vote, ISO/CEN).
ISO/FDIS 16712
Water quality – Determination of acute toxicity of marine or estuarine sediments to amphipods. (UAP-vote, ISO/CEN).
prEN/ISO 19493
Water quality – Guidance on marine biological surveys of littoral and sublittoral hard bottoms. WI
Water quality – Guidance standard for surveying macrophytes in lakes.
NWI (2005)
Water quality - Guidance on pro-rata multi-habitat-sampling of benthic invertebrates from wadeable rivers
Water quality – Guidance standard on the design of multimetric indices
Document TG1/N92
Water quality – Guidance on field and laboratory procedures for processing samples of benthic macroinvertebrates from
inland waters.

11. EN-Standards currently available for Monitoring/WFD
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 ISO
Water quality – Sampling guidance on the preservation and handling of samples. (ISO :1994).
1995
EN 27828
Water quality – Methods of biological sampling – Guidance on handnet sampling of aquatic benthic macro-invertebrates. (ISO 7828:1985) (systematic review 2004).
1994
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) (systematic review 2004).
EN ISO 9391
Water quality – Sampling in deep waters for macroinvertebrates – Guidance on the use of colonization, qualitative and quantitative samples. (ISO 9391:1993) (systematic review 2004).
EN ISO
Water quality – Sampling – Part 16: Guidance on bio-testing of samples. (ISO :1998).
1998
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
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 13946
Water quality – Guidance standard for the routine sampling and pre-treatment of benthic diatoms from rivers.
2003
EN 14407
Water quality – Guidance standard for the identifications, enumeration and interpretation of benthic diatom samples from running waters.
EN 14184
Water quality – Guidance standard for surveying of aquatic macrophytes in 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 14757
Water quality – Sampling of fish with multi-mesh gillnets
2005

12. Potential Future Work TG 5 TG 1 All TG 3 TG 6
Water quality – Assessing river quality based on hydromorphological
features 
TG 5
Guidance on field & laboratory procedures for processing samples of
benthic macroinvertebrate from surface freshwaters
TG 1
Water quality – Guidance standard on the use of multiple-organism
groups in bioassessment
All
Water quality – Guidance standard for the surveying, sampling and
laboratory analysis of phytobenthos in shallow running water”
TG 3
Water quality – Guidance on the estimation of algal biovolume
Water quality – Guidance standard on the quantification and use of
performance characteristics in ecological assessment
TG 6
Water quality – design and analysis of interlaboratory calibration
studies for ecological assessment

13. 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 assessment
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