Document Acronym WG2D/27281004/11

Progress report for the Strategic Co-ordination Group
of 27-28th October 200327-28 October 2004

Agenda item:9Status: Draft

Authors:Pierre Hecq (DG Env); Joachim D’Eugenio (DG Env)

Working Group 2D: Reporting

1.ACTUAL STATUS:

Activities

Compliance

Electronic Reporting Prototype. The electronic reporting prototype went live on 1 July 2004 for reporting of Article 3 information on river basin districts and competent authorities. As of 15 October 2004 the system had been accessed by 64 times (password changes etc) by 14 Member States. Five Member States have uploaded information of which 4 have provided GIS data. The first MemberState to complete a submission was Slovakia on 3 September 2004. Ireland and Estonia have also completed their submissions.

Guidance. The reporting sheets that will form the Guidance Document on Reporting (Part C) covering 2005 reporting requirements were presented to Working Group 2D on 7 June. Following a period for written comments they were amended and further discussed by the Drafting Group on Compliance on 21 September 2004. Following the incorporation of further comments they were discussed at the meeting of Working Group 2D on 18 October 2004 following which they have been revised again (taking account of written comments provided after the meeting). The SCG is referred to this document.

Subject to the incorporation of these comments the Working Group agreed:

  • On the reporting sheets covering 2005 reporting requirements and on subsequent information requirements for data submission to WISE for 2005;
  • That further discussion on the reporting sheets covering the period 2006-2008 and data requirements for WISE should take place.

Mandate. Working Group 2D requested at the meeting of 18 October 2004 that the mandate for the group be reviewed. A draft of a revised mandate has been prepared and is provided for the SCG’s information. This has yet to be commented on by the Working Group.

State of the Environment

A first draft of a paper on State of the Environment Reporting has been prepared by the EEA. This was presented to Working Group 2D on 18 October 2004. Written comments were also invited. The Working Group agreed to re-invigorate the Drafting Group on State of the Environment Reporting, under the chairmanship of the EEA and it is anticipated that a meeting will be held before the end of 2004.

Meetings (since 15th March 2004)

  • Working Group 2D 7 June 2004
  • Drafting Group on Compliance 21 September 2004
  • Working Group 2D 18 October 2004

2.EXPECTED PROGRESS

Compliance

Conclusions of the Strategic Co-ordination Group: to help the drafting and working groups to appropriately continue their work, the Commission has drafted conclusions that the SCG is asked to agree on; these draft conclusions are attached to this report.

Reporting sheets: on the basis of the agreed conclusions from SCG and Water Directors, the reporting sheets for the period 2006-2008 will be further developed.

Electronic Reporting Prototype (WISE) Based on the Guidance Document prepared, the reporting prototype will be further developed during the first quarter of 2005.

State of the Environment

Development of the Guidance on State of the Environment Reporting will continue. The Drafting Group on State of the Environment will meet before the end of 2004.

Meetings

Workshop of GIS Experts11 November 2004

Drafting Group on SoE winter 2004

3.Other issues to raise

No other issues.

The Common Implementation Strategy for the Water Framework Directive

Guidance Document on Reporting on the Analyses Required by Article 5 of the WFD (2005 Reporting)

Draft conclusions of the Strategic Co-ordination Group

Version: 1.0

Status:20/10/04

Note for the SCG:These draft conclusions will be discussed during the meeting of 27/28 October 2004 and the final agreed version will be sent to the Water Directors Meeting to be held on the 2/3 December in Amsterdam.

The final draft of the “Guidance Document on Reporting on the Analyses Required by Article 5 of the WFD (2005 Reporting)” was discussed by Working Group 2D on 18 October 2004. The document provides Guidance on what information Member States should provide to allow the Commission to assess compliance with the requirements of Article 5 of the Water Framework Directive relating to the characterisation, review of the impact of human activity on the status of surface water and groundwaters and the economic analysis of water use. The WFD requires that this information be provided by 22 March 2005.

The Water Directors adopted a table of contents for the Guidance Document in November 2003. For each item identified in the table of contents and individual reporting sheet has been developed identifying what information should be reported, why it is required, and what format it should be supplied in. As stated above Member States are required by the Directive to provide this information in 2005. However, in light of the fact that the development of this Guidance Document has taken place later than was ideal and whilst many Member States have been preparing reports on the Article 5 analyses the Commission has developed a two-phased approach. This allows for the reporting of more general summary information at a river basin district level in 2005 with the deadline for the provision of more detailed (often numeric) data being extended to 2008, the point at which Member States will need to have validated the analyses required by Article 5 of the Directives in order to publish their draft River Basin Management Plans.

Working Group 2D met on 18 October 2004 at which the reporting sheets were discussed. The Working Group agreed:

  • On the data requirements for 2005 reporting;
  • To continue work developing data requirements for information to be provided from 2006 to 2008.

The Commission notes however, that in order to have a robust electronic reporting system in place that work needs to start on the further development of the electronic reporting prototype as soon as possible. The Commission therefore proposes to begin the development of the prototype on the basis of the Guidance Document as it stands at the current time.

The Strategic Co-ordination Group (hereafter referred as SCG) has discussed the guidance document during its meeting on the 27/28 October 2004.

Further to the discussions, the Strategic Co-ordination Group draws the following conclusions:

  • The SCG congratulates the Working Group (DG) on the finalisation of the guidance for information to be reported in 2005.
  • The SCG takes note of the fact that work should continue in 2006 to develop the information requirements for the period 2006 - 2008, taking into account the lessons learnt from the intercalibration process and 2004 and 2005 reporting.
  • The SCG agrees to forward the final current guidance document to the next Water Directors Meeting for examination and agreement of the 2005 reporting requirements and the proposed approach to further development.

The current draft guidance document will be available on the WFD CIRCA

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