INFORMATION SHEET( Draft)

• General introduction:

During the development of the implementation process of the Water Framework Directive, certain crosscutting issues (e.g. the definition of water bodies, the role of wetlands and other terrestrial ecosystems) have emerged which require further clarification. In the Strategic Co-ordination Group (SCG) meeting held on the 30 September and 1 October 2002, NGOs participating in the implementation process presented a draft paper on wetlands in the context of the WFD implementation. The SCG agreed to take the issue under the umbrella of the CIS and to prepare a “horizontal guidance” within 2003. In addition the SCG agreed to include a general reference to this new activity into other relevant guidance documents.

• Objective:
  

- Elaborate the common understanding on the requirements of the WFD regarding wetlands.

- Identify the role of wetlands in the WFD and in particular in relation to the Programmes of measures.

- Link these activities with other Common Implementation Strategy (CIS) guidance, by preparing generic text on wetlands for use in existing guidance documents.

- Address problems and obstacles for the consideration of wetlands in the river basin management and elaborate solutions. Identify and take forward a process for integrating wetlands into the pilot river basin exercise and other future activities of the CIS.

• Expected outcome:

- Generic text for use in other guidance documents.

-Horizontal guidance document. As a starting point, the document will integrate the draft paper presented to the meeting of the SCG held on the 30 September and 1 October 2002 and the comments/opinions raised by the SCG members in reference to it. The drafting group will tackle all the comments addressed regarding the presented paper.

- The final guidance document will be ready early 2003, in order to have the chance to be integrated into the pilot river basin exercise.

• Lead country: Italy.
  

• Participants:

- In the above-mentioned SCG meeting, several members have mentioned their interest in participating in the drafting group, in particular, Sweden, Finland, France, Germany, Spain, United Kingdom, Italy, Norway, and WWF, EEB, Eurelectric, and RTD project (Evaluwet). Participation in the drafting group is open to all other members of the SCG. A number of those interested have already identified WG members, see list attached.

Other participants shall be identified by end November (contact on the issue Marta Moren: ).

• Links with other activities:

- The activity is a crosscutting issue for the rest of the guidance documents. In the light of this, an explanatory text on the issue will be proposed for inclusion in every guidance document.

- As a future activity, the practical implications side of the guidance document will be integrated into the developing work on programmes of measures.

- The activity of this drafting group will be integrated within the Pilot River Basin Exercise. However, the issue also has crosscutting relevance with ecological reference conditions, and there may be a case for ensuring some joint activity with this element of the future CIS..

• Financing:
  At this early stage, no external financing is envisaged.

• Timetable:

- November 2002 agreement on the Terms of reference by the SCG.

- 30 November 2002 nominate participants to the WG.

- Prepare a common text to be integrated in the guidance documents to be approved in the water directors meeting to be held in November 2002.

- December 2002 agreement on the table of content for the horizontal guidance.

- Set up the working group and prepare a kick-off meeting by January 2003.

- March 2003 first draft to be presented to the SCG.

- June 2003: Prepare the horizontal guidance document to be ready by the Water Directors meeting to be held under the Greek Presidency.

Members of the Drafting group “Role of Wetlands in the WFD”

Austria

Mrs. Birgit Vogel

Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment & Water Management, Department of National Water Management – Aquatic Ecology Ref. VII 1b,

Marxergrasse 2, 1030 Vienna 1

(Bundesministerium für Land- und Forstwirtschaft, Umwelt und Wasserwirtschaft

Ref. VII 1 b - Gewässerökologie

Marxergasse 2 , A-1030 Wien, Austria)

Tel. ++43-1-71 100-7121 fax: ++43-1- 71 100-17156

E-mail:

Belgium

Adelheid Vanhille (Flanders)

Email:

Commission DG ENV

Marta Moren

E-mail:

Czech Republic

Mr. Jan Pokorny

Email:

Mr. Pavel Puncochar

E-mail:

Mr Jaroslav Kinkor

E-mail:

Denmark

Mr. Ivan B. Karottki

Head of Section

Danish Forest and Nature Agency

Haraldsgade 53

2100 Copenhagen Ø

Tel: +45 3947 2828

E-mail:

DG RTD- Evaluwet Project

Prof. Edward Maltby

(coordinator of the EVALUWET Project)

E-mail:

Alternate Contact: Richard Thorne

Post Doctoral Research Assistant

Royal Holloway Institute for Environmental Research

Huntersdale, Callow Hill

Virginia Water, Surrey GU25 4LN

UK

Tel: +44 (0)1784 477404

Fax: +44 (0)1784 477427

E-mail:

EEB

Ruth Davis

E-mail:

Senior Water Policy Officer
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
The Lodge
Sandy
Bedfordshire
SG19 2DL
Telephone: 01767 680551 ex 2556

France

Mrs. Marie Françoise Bazerque

Ministère de l’écologie et du développement Durable,

Direction de l’eau

20, Avenue de Sègur

75 302 PARIS 07 SP

Tel: 01-42-19-13-07

E-mail: Fax:

Mrs. Marie Claude Ximenes

I FEN

61, Boulevarol Alexandre Martin

45058 Orleans Cedex

Tel: 03-02-38-708-70-47

Fax: 03-02-38-708-70-60

E-mail:

Germany

Stephan Naumann

Umweltbundesamt (Federal Environment Agency)

Bismavckplatz 1

D – 14193 Berlin

Tel: +49-30-8903-2486-2965

Fax: +49-30-8903-2965

Email:

Greece

Mrs Maria Hatziyianni

Biologist

Hellenic Ministry for Environment, Physical Planning and Public Works,

Water Section

E-mail:

Tel: +30 210 8645762

Fax: + 30 210 8662968

Hungary

Mr. Gabor Csörgits

Ministry of Water and Environment,

Authority of Nature Conservation,

Department of Nature Conservation,

H-1121 Budapest, Költö u.21

Tel: +36-1-395-2605/218

Fax: +36-1-395-2605-7250

E-mail:

Ireland

Jim Ryan

National Parks and Wildlife

Duchas - The Heritage Service

Department of the Environment and Local Government

7 Ely Place

Dublin 2 IRELAND

Telephone: +353 1 6472391

Fax: +353 1 6788123

E-Mail:

Italy– lead country

Giorgio Pineschi – project leader

Ministry of the Environment and Land Protection

Via Cristoforo Colombo, 44,
00147 Rome, Italy,
Tel: 0039 06 57225153
Fax: 0039 06 57225193
E-mail: (personal): gpinesk@tin
E-mail: (Ministry):

Nicola Pacini

Italian EPA (APAT)

Rachel Bindless

ICRAM

(C/O Ministry of the Environment and Land Protection)

Via Cristoforo Colombo, 44,
00147 Rome, Italy,
Tel: 0039 06 57225153
Fax: 0039 06 57225193

Email:

Lithuania

Jonas Karpavicius

Leading specialist

Nature protection department

Ministry of Environment

Tel.:+370-5-2663557

Fax: +370-5-2663663

E-mail:

Romania

Ms. Valerica Grigoras,

Adviser in the Ministry of Water and Environmental Protection

Tel: 0040 21 410 44 65

Fax: 0040 21 410 20 32

E-mail:

Dr. Madalina State,

Chemist in National Administration "Romanian Waters"

Tel: 0040 21 315 55 35

Fax: 0040 21 312 21 74,

E-mail:

Slovakia

Mr. Jan Seffer, PhD.

Director, Dapne Institute of Applied Ecology, Bratislava

Tel: +421-2-65412162

Email:

Alternative Contact: Eleonora Bartkova:

E-mail:

Slovenia

Mrs. Grabiela Grcar.

Email:

Spain

Mr Ramòn Peňa

CEDEX Ecology of Inland Aquatic systems,

Paseo Bajo Virgen du Puerto, 3,

28005 – Madrid (Espania),

Tel: +3491 3358011

Fax: + 34913357994

E-mail:

WWF

Charlie Avis

Policy Officer,

WWF Danube-Carpathian Programme,

C/o H -1124 Budapest,

Nèmetvölgyi ÚT 78/b,

Hungary,

Tel: +32-2-7438800 (until end of February, 2003),

European Policy Office,

Brussels

E-mail:

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