Meeting of Working Group D on Reporting under the Water Framework Directive
from 10:00 to 18:00 h on 15 April 2013
Charlemagne Building – Room GASP
Rue de la Loi 170, B-1000 Brussels, Belgium (Metro Schuman)
Minutes [version 2.1, 18.10.2013]
Version History
Version / Date / Authors / Status and description / Distribution /0.0 / 19/04/2013 / MKO, GKA / Zero draft for the COM / DG ENV, EEA, ETC/ICM
0.1 / 10/05/2013 / MKO, GKA / Comments from the EEA (ARO) incorporated / DG ENV
1.0 / Comments from the COM, EEA, ETC/ICM incorporated / MSs and other participants
2.0 / Comments from all participants incorporated / WG D
2.1 / Comments from members of WG DIS incorporated
Note: Documents and ppts are available on CIRCABC x22nd Meeting 15 April 2013
Meeting Participants:
Jacques Delsalle / DG Environment, Chair / JD
Balazs Horvath / DG Environment / BH
Marta Moren Abat / DG Environment / MMA
Joachim D’Eugenio / DG Environment / JDE
Christof Mainz / DG Environment / CM
Jose Rizo Martin / DG Environment / JRM
Beate Werner / EEA / BWE
Agnieszka Romanowicz / EEA / ARO
George Karavokiros / NTUA / GKA
Maggie Kossida / NTUA / MKO
Anita Kuenitzer / ETC/ICM / AKU
Mette Wolstrup / Atkins / MWO
Sarah France / WRC / SFR
Member States
Ernst Uberreiter / AT / AT
Elise Beke / BE / BE
Ilke Dieltjens / BE / BE
David Samoy / BE / BE
Rudy Vannevel / BE / BE
Hoek Zdenk / CZ / CZ
Meike Gierk / DE / DE
Axel Borchmann / DE / DE
Manuela Pfeiffer / DE / DE
Rain Elken / EE / EE
Concepcion Marcuello / ES / ES
Antton Keno / FI / FI
Cécile Gözler / FR / FR
Maria Psychogiou / GR / GR
Gabriella Jelinek / HU / HU
Tom Stafford / IE / IE
Gediminas Dudenas / LT / LT
Kristina Fedorovica / LV / LV
Michael Schembri / MT / MT
Lars Stalberg / NO / NO
Piotr Piorkowski / PL / PL
Agata Wlodarczyk / PL / PL
Corina Cosmina Boscornea / RO / RO
Mihail Costache / RO / RO
Ann-Karin Thoren / SE / SE
Martina Mlinaric / SI / SI
Renata Grofova / SK / SK
Ingrid Baber / UK / UK
Abbreviations used:
COM: EU Commission
EEA: European Environment Agency
ETC/ICM: European Topic Centre on Inland, Coastal and Marines Water
WFD: Water Framework Directive
RBMPs: River Basin Management Plans
UWWTD: Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive
FRMPs: Flood Risk Management Plans
Detailed minutes per agenda item
0. Adoption of the Agenda
- Document: agenda
JD (DG Environment, Chair) welcomed the participants to the meeting. He informed the meeting about a small change in the order of the agenda items (move 2a to a letter time block).
The Agenda was adopted.
1. Adoption of the Minutes of the last Meeting of WG D on 26 September 2012
- Document: draft minutes
No comments. The minutes were approved.
2. WFD reporting
- ppt: Status of WDF Reporting
a) Status of WFD reporting (Atkins)
- Update on status of reporting and validation process
- Update of summary of WISE electronic delivery
- Status of 2012 interim report on the implementation of the Programmes of Measures
MWO (Atkins) gave a presentation on the status of the reporting and validation process. The state of play on RBMPs and WISE reporting has not changed since the last meeting in September 2012. BE reported several SW xml files in October – however still not complete dataset; GR: Complete most of xml – however missing RBMPs adoption; ES: ES017 and ES018 not complete, islands missing, RBMPs not adopted; BE: Miss some RBMPs. PT: Miss the RBMP for the islands. With regards to the state of the validation process (as of 15/04/2013): EE: still need to point the files to use for the validation as several versions appear on CDR; PT: no errors from validation in CDR – however several mismatches of codes between xml files, these issues were sent to PT on the 19.03.2012
Regarding the update of Summary of WISE electronic delivery there is currently activity under the RBMP obligation – some MS still update information. The latest WFD Master database update was in December 2012 (also reflected in views), the views have been updated on the basis of MSs’ feedback during autumn. Finally, regarding the status of the 2012 interim report on the implementation of Programme of Measures, all reported data has been imported into the Master database and on 15.03.2013 the Master database has been delivered for the compliance assessment.
MMA (DG ENV) asked the MSs who have not reported yet, or have partially reported (BE, GR, ES, PT) to update the COM on the current status and progress of their reporting.
In BE the RBMPs are not adopted yet. Some data groups have been uploaded but not all of them.
GR is trying to accelerate the procedure. One week ago 5 RBMPs (out of 14 RBDs in total) have been approved. Another 5 of the RBMPs are in the final stage, while 2 more RBMPs are in the final stage of consultation and thus it is estimated that these will be submitted in 1-2 months. The remaining 2 will be sent in about 6 months. In ES authorities are working on approving the plans and as soon as this is done they will be uploaded in WISE. 4 ES RBMPs have been approved, but the information is not yet on WISE. No feedback from PT due to lack of representation in the meeting.
b) Publication of WFD aggregated reports in WISE (EEA)
ARO (EEA) informed the group that the content of the reports has been finalized. There are problems of visualization as the dataset was prepared by contractor for internal view. But the data are present, therefore the link to them can be provided on request. Publication is expected soon.
c) Implications of the update of Art. 5 (ENV)
- Document: Art.5 Review_MSs’planned actions
BHO (DG ENV): In the last meeting it was discussed that the COM would like to be informed on the intentions of the MSs regarding the updating of Art.5. In WFD there is an obligation to review and update Art.5 by the end of this year (but no obligation to report these updates in 2013). The COM addressed to the MSs a question to identify to which extend they plan to update Art.5. Fifteen MSs replied, and a summary document was compiled and distributed before this meeting. In summary, some MSs indicated that they will do very minor changes, others indicated that some datasets (e.g. delineation of water bodies or economic analysis) will be substantially changed. All MSs replied that they do not intend to report in WISE in 2013; they will incorporate these changes in the next reporting phase (2016). Thus, the COM does not need to initiate now a reporting process.
A discussion has been initiated regarding complication that may arise if the MSs update some codes or IDs (e.g. as result of changing the delineation of water bodies) and these are not promptly communicated in WISE. EEA (ARO) and ETC/ICM (AKU) flagged the fact that these codes are interlinked with many datasets in WISE and/or are used in different products and reports. If updates happen without correctly flagging and identifying the changes (e.g. in a separate column) then tracking-back and linking with data from previous reporting cycle and WISE datasets is highly endangered. At this moment the EEA needs to put a lot of efforts into keeping track of all the changes. Furthermore, with the developments of INSPIRE directive more problems can be faced by MS/COM/EEA if not proper attention is made at this stage of discussion.
DG ENV (MMA) encouraged MSs to think of a safeguarding process because if links are lost between the 1st and 2nd round of RBMPs reporting we won’t be able to evaluate the SoE and progress made.
Some questions were further raised by the MSs on how to best assign new IDs to WBs linking them to the original WB (e.g. in case of splitting a WB in two) (DE), on the interaction of the revision of Art.5 with the post-Blueprint activities (water accounts, e-flows, etc.) to be launched (ES), on the link between the WFD and the Inspire Directive (DE)
The COM (JD) pointed out that the Blueprint products to be further developed can really benefit from the updates of Art.5 as well. In general, it will be beneficial to know whether updated information is available and if so, where it could be retrieved/extracted from (i.e. from the national databases). Thus, the COM addressed a request to the MSs to inform them upon completion of the updating process, on the changes made, the availability of the data, where they are stored, etc.
An additional question has been raised by DE whether the Go4 has clarified the need for a WG on Inspire (this need was detected in the Floods WG). The COM (BHO) highlighted that there are needs for pilot projects in various fields. But these should be separate projects (e.g. on floods, WFD, etc.) yet coordinated.
3. Blueprint to Safeguard Europe's Water Resources – results and follow-up (ENV)
- ppt: A Blueprint to safeguard Europe’s water resources: main results and follow-up
JD (DG ENV) gave a ppt on the main results and follow-up of the Blueprint. The Blueprint and related assessments have demonstrated that there are still important knowledge gaps and failures in the dissemination and proper integration into decision making. The implementation and monitoring of the Blueprint will use WFD-CIS as platform. In the first phase (2013-2015), the objective will be to provide support for preparation of the next RBMPs by 2015 and to strengthen the knowledge base and tools that will support the assessment of these plans and the review of the WFD. Further operational objectives relate to the building of a strong knowledge base which goes beyond compliance checking into supporting EU-wide impact assessments, production of relevant indicators, ecosystem services accounting and consistent assessments of water resources across the EU.
Products/work focus in 2011/12:
- JRC Report: A multi-criteria optimisation of scenarios for the protection of water resources in Europe
- EU Water Balances project (2011/12) with support from EEA
Three new calls have been launched this year (funds from EU Parliament) to support identified post-Blueprint building blocks:
- Produce revised and complete EU water balance at sub-catchment level and monthly resolution by end 2014
- Geolocalised database of water use in thermal power plants and manufacturing cooling processes
- Costs, benefits and implementation of natural water retention measures
MSs addressed questions regarding the process and progress towards policy integration as indicated in the Blueprint (IE), the indicators to be developed and the possible requirements for additional reporting in order to produce the necessary data (SK), technical issues related to the definition of hydrological entities that have been (e.g. for the water accounts) or will be used in the relevant future products. JDE and MMA reflected on the intentions of the COM to do more integration across the reporting of the Directives trying to reduce the burden, to make use of all the available data in order to formulate adequate indicators, and to streamline so that maximum capitalization of the available data and information can be achieved. Along the same lines, EEA (ARO) communicated its objective to take stock of all the data and work done, and assess what is needed, what can be used in more efficient way, and how to better develop adequate indicators.
4. Future WFD reporting
a) Lessons learnt from the first WFD reporting (WRc)
- Documents: WFD reporting Lessons Learned (short version)
WFD reporting Lessons Learned (with Appendixes)
- ppt: WFD reporting Lessons Learned
SFR (WRC) gave a presentation on the lessons learnt from the completed WFD reporting exercise. The objective of this assessment is to form the basis for reviewing, and if necessary revising the reporting guidance and schemas.
It has drawn upon the findings of similar documents prepared after the publication of the first two Commission implementation reports, and presents feedback gathered from all interested stakeholders on the last completed reporting exercise (on RBMPs). In addition, a comparison has been made between the information requested in the schemas, and the information used in the assessments to identify areas for improvement in reporting, and where information is not needed and could be removed. The Report has also looked to identify synergies with other reporting streams to identify opportunities for future streamlining
BH explained that this is indeed a mid-term goal for COM to establish a decentralised system and reduce the reporting burden. It will require some time, and we have the pilot projects. But still there is a need to improve reporting for the 2nd round of RBMPs, so something should be undertaken to review the WFD schemas this year (short-term). Some of the results/conclusions of this study/report will be achieved later, but some should be achieved this year. COM required MS to provide all the feedback possible to this report, how much changes are needed in the reporting sheets, where, etc.
MMA clarified that COM intention is to have a first discussion on the SCG meeting (on May 2) and then have at the end of the year how we can learn and benefit the next cycle of the report.
b) Structured implementation and information frameworks – SIIFs (ENV)
- ppt: SIIF UWWD pilot