Meeting of the Water Directors on 21/22 November 2002 in Copenhagen
Annexes to the synthesis
ANNEX I
Meeting agenda
Thursday, 21 November 2002
09.00Registration
09.30Welcome and introduction
09.401.Approval of the agenda
09.452.State of the implementation process
2.1State of the implementation process – overview
2.2Implementation of the WFD in the Danube basin (presentation)
10.153.Common Implementation Strategy
3.1Guidance document on analysis of pressures and impacts
10.45Coffee break
11.153.Common Implementation Strategy (continued)
3.2Guidance document on public participation
3.3Guidance document on heavily modified water bodies
13.00Lunch
14.303.Common Implementation Strategy (continued)
3.4Guidance document on water bodies
3.5Guidance document on GIS
15.45Coffee break
16:006.Follow-up on the Common Implementation Strategy
6.1Organisation
6.2Work programme 2003/2004
6.3New activities (wetlands, classification)
17.30End of day one
Friday, 22 November 2002
09.003.Common Implementation Strategy (continued)
3.6Guidance document on transitional and coastal waters
3.7Guidance document on intercalibration
3.8Guidance document on monitoring
10.30Coffee break
11.003.Common Implementation Strategy (continued)
3.9Guidance document on reference conditions for inland surface waters
3.10Guidance document on planning process
11.455.Integrated testing
5.1Pilot river basins, terms of reference
5.2Other projects in river basins
12.154.Policy development
4.1EAF Groundwater
4.2EAF Priority Substances
4.3EAF Reporting
13.00Lunch
14.157.Article 21 Committee (information point)
14.308.Flood protection
15.30Coffee break
15.459.Other issues
9.1Request for observer status for NGOs and stakeholders at WD meetings
9.2Bathing water (information point)
9.3Results of the UN World Summit on Sustainable Development, Johannesburg (information point)
9.4Conference on the Development of an European Strategy on Protection and Conservation of the Marine Environment, 4-6 December 2002, Køge, Denmark (information point)
9.5World Water Forum, Kyoto, 2003 (information point)
9.6UN World Water Year 2003 (information point)
9.7Green Week (information point)
16.3010.Conclusions
17.2011.Any other business
17.30Closure of the meeting
ANNEX II
List of participants [attached]
ANNEX III
Generic conclusions of the Water Directors (WD) following the endorsement of the guidance documents to be included in their foreword
“We, the water directors of the European Union, Norway, Switzerland and the countries applying for accession to the European Union, have examined and endorsed this guidance during our informal meeting under the Danish Presidency in Copenhagen (21/22 November 2002). We would like to thank the participants of the Working Group and, in particular, the leaders, [to be completed depending on the Working Group which prepared the guidance], for preparing this high quality document.
We strongly believe that this and other guidance documents developed under the Common Implementation Strategy will play a key role in the process of implementing the Water Framework Directive.
This guidance document is a living document that will need continuous input and improvements as application and experience build up in all countries of the European Union and beyond. We agree, however, that this document will be made publicly available in its current form in order to present it to a wider public as a basis for carrying forward ongoing implementation work.
Moreover, we welcome that several volunteers have committed themselves to test and validate this and other documents in the so-called pilot river basins across Europe during 2003 and 2004 in order to ensure that the guidance is applicable in practice.
We also commit ourselves to assess and decide upon the necessity for reviewing this document following the pilot testing exercises and the first experiences gained in the initial stages of the implementation.”
ANNEX IV
Amendment of the integration box in the common text for all guidance documents in order to include the importance of flood prevention
Integration: a key concept underlying the Water Framework Directive
The central concept to the Water Framework Directive is the concept of integration that is seen as key to the management of water protection within the river basin district:
Integration of environmental objectives, combining quality, ecological and quantity objectives for protecting highly valuable aquatic ecosystems and ensuring a general good status of other waters;
Integration of all water resources, combining fresh surface water and groundwater bodies, wetlands, coastal water resources at the river basin scale;
Integration of all water uses, functions and values into a common policy framework,i.e. investigating water for the environment, water for health and human consumption, water for economic sectors, transport, leisure, water as a social good;
Integration of disciplines, analyses and expertise, combining hydrology, hydraulics, ecology, chemistry, soil sciences, technology engineering and economics to assess current pressures and impacts on water resources and identify measures for achieving the environmental objectives of the Directive in the most cost-effective manner;
Integration of water legislation into a common and coherent framework. The requirements of some old water legislation (e.g. the Fishwater Directive) have been reformulated in the Water Framework Directive to meet modern ecological thinking. After a transitional period, these old Directives will be repealed. Other pieces of legislation (e.g. the Nitrates Directive and the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive) must be co-ordinated in river basin management plans where they form the basis of the programmes of measures;
Integration of all significant management and ecological aspects relevant to sustainable river basin planning including those which are beyond the scope of the Water Framework Directive such as flood protection and prevention;
Integration of a wide range of measures, including pricing and economic and financial instruments, in a common management approach for achieving the environmental objectives of the Directive. Programmes of measures are defined in River Basin Management Plans developed for each river basin district;
Integration of stakeholders and the civil society in decision making, by promoting transparency and information to the public, and by offering an unique opportunity for involving stakeholders in the development of river basin management plans;
Integration of different decision-making levels that influence water resources and water status, be local, regional or national, for an effective management of all waters;
Integration of water management from different Member States, for river basins shared by several countries, existing and/or future Member States of the European Union.
ANNEX V
Common text on wetlands to be inserted in all guidance documents
“Wetland ecosystems are ecologically and functionally significant parts elements of the water environment, with potentially an important role to play in helping to achieve sustainable river basin management. The Water Framework Directive does not set environmental objectives for wetlands. However, wetlands that are dependent on groundwater bodies, form part of a surface water body, or are Protected Areas, will benefit from WFD obligations to protect and restore the status of water. Relevant definitions are developed in CIS horizontal guidance documents water bodies and further considered in guidance on wetlands.
Pressures on wetlands (for example physical modification or pollution) can result in impacts on the ecological status of water bodies. Measures to manage such pressures may therefore need to be considered as part of river basin management plans, where they are necessary to meet the environmental objectives of the Directive.
Wetland creation and enhancement can in appropriate circumstances offer sustainable, cost-effective and socially acceptable mechanisms for helping to achieve the environmental objectives of the Directive. In particular, wetlands can help to abate pollution impacts, contribute to mitigating the effects of droughts and floods, help to achieve sustainable coastal management and to promote groundwater recharge. The relevance of wetlands within programmes of measures is examined further in a separate horizontal guidance paper on wetlands.”
ANNEX VI
Agenda item 3.3:
Amendments to guidance on heavily modified water bodies in relation to version of 15/11/2002 presented by WG 2.2
Text to be introduced into the section 2.1, paragraph “what is a heavily modified water?” before the last “look out” box:
“Notwithstanding the agreed general approach described in the paragraph above, it was agreed that a slightly different approach could be taken for limited stretches of rivers, e.g. downstream of dams. Under these circumstances, substantial hydrological changes that are accompanied by subsequent non-substantial morphological changes would be sufficient to consider the water body for a provisional identification as HMWB.”
ANNEX VII
Agenda item 3.4: Amendments to guidance on water bodies in relation to version 9.0
Section 3.5: Small elements of surface water (Page 12)
“…
It is therefore recommended to use the size of small rivers and lakes according to system A as a minimum requirement when identifying water bodies. However, it is recognised that in some regions where there are many small water bodies, this general approach will need to be adapted. Having said that, it may be appropriate to aggregate water bodies into groups for certain purposes as outlined in chapter 5 in order to avoid unnecessary administrative burden. … “
Section 4.2.2: Abstraction of significant quantities of groundwater (page 15)
Article 7 requires the establishment of Protected Areas identification of all groundwater bodies used, or intended to be used, for the abstraction of more than 10 m3 of drinking water a day as an average. In addition, Annex II 2.3 requires the collection of information, where relevant, on points of abstraction of water more than 10 m3 per day as an average. By implication, this volume is could be regarded as a significant quantity of groundwater. Geological strata capable of permitting such levels of abstraction (even only locally) would therefore qualify as aquifers.If either of the criteria described in Paragraphs 4.2.1 or 4.2.2 are satisfied, the geological strata should be regarded as an aquifer. Most geological strata would be expected to qualify as aquifers as most could supply or are intended to supply 10 m3 a day as an average or could serve 50 or more people.
However, it is clear that the requirements are different as regards those groundwater bodies which are being used or are intended to be used for drinking water abstraction (cf. Article 7) and those bodies where groundwater is abstracted for other uses (cf. Annex II 2.3). For the latter, not all groundwater bodies would be identified since the Directive specifies. The criteria in Annex II 2.3 specify that only those groundwater bodies must be addressed “which cross the boundary between two or more Member States or are identified [...] as being at risk of failing to meet the objectives set for each body under Article 4”.
ANNEX VIII
Agenda item 3.5: Amendment of the GIS guidance
In section 3.2, page 23, the last paragraph is amended as follows:
“…
For the short-term reporting, this EU-wide base could be an option, if all WFD-relevant elements can be included. In the long term, the scale of reporting may be 1:250.000, as far as an identical and harmonised data base (e.g. EuroRegionalMap) is available.”
ANNEX IX
Conclusions of the Water Directors on intercalibration to be incorporated in the foreword in the guidance
“We, the water directors of the European Union, Norway, Switzerland and the countries applying for accession to the European Union, have examined this guidance during our informal meeting under the Danish Presidency in Copenhagen (21/22 November 2002). We would like to thank the participants of the Working Group and, in particular, the leaders of the Joint Research Centre, for preparing this high quality document.
We recognise that the guidance document represents a significant first step towards the elaboration of a comprehensive approach for intercalibration as required under the directive.
The Water Directors agreed that the document must be developed further during 2003 and beyond. It was stressed that the elaboration of an intercalibration system in line with the requirements of the Water Framework Directive was a major challenge. Pragmatic solutions need to be developed which bridge the gap between the technical and scientific possibilities and the formal requirements. As expressed in the guidance, a step-wise approach should be developed with improvements and refinements being introduced in the light of experience and new information.
The Water Directors highlighted that status of the document as an interim product still under active development.
We agree, however, that this document will be made publicly available in its current form in order to present it to a wider public as a basis for carrying forward ongoing implementation work. Moreover, we welcome that several volunteers have committed themselves to test and validate this and other documents in the so-called pilot river basins across Europe during 2003 and 2004 in order to ensure that the guidance is applicable in practice. We also invite the Working Group to come forward with a further developed document by the end of 2003 taking account of the above comments.”
ANNEX X
Table: Priority issues for developing guidance under the Common Implementation Strategy 2003/2004 including attribution to the new Working Groups and tentative timeframe for start and completion of work work mainly during 2003/2004 (WG: working group; EAF: expert advisory forum; IRBM: integrated river basin management; GW: groundwater).
No / Issue / Working Group / Tentative timeframe1 / Management of wetlands in the context of the WFD / WG 2.B – IRBM (drafting group already established) / Start: Nov 2002
End: May 2003
2 / Classification of ecological status including the use of physico-chemical and hydromorphological parameters / WG 2.A – Ecological Status (drafting group to be established) / Start: Dec 2002
End: Oct 2003
3 / Harmonisation of typology (in particular for transitional and coastal waters) / WG 2.A – Ecological Status / Start: Feb 2003
End: Nov. 2003
4 / Assessment of eutrophication in the context of different European directives / WG 2.A – Ecological Status / Start: May 2003
End: May 2004
5 / Integration of economic issues in new guidance documents (baseline scenario, scale) / WG 2.B – IRBM / Start: Feb. 2003
End: May 2004
6 / Addressing of economical methodological aspects (such as the assessment of environmental costs or the assessment of the incentive dimension of pricing) / WG 2.B – IRBM / Start: Feb. 2003
End: Nov. 2004
7 / Preparation of river basin management plans and programmes of measures including the integration of different river basin management tasks / WG 2.B – IRBM (link to EAF Reporting) / Start: Sept. 2003
End: Dec 2004
8 / Guidelines for reporting under the WFD / EAF Reporting (for preparation of Art. 21 Committee) / Start: already
End: Jan 2004
9 / Characterisation and monitoring of groundwaters / EAF GW and after termination of EAF, new WG 2.C Groundwater / Start: Sept. 2003
End: Sept. 2004