Dr. Ursula Schmedtje Secretariat of the ICPDR 1 Harmonisation of ecological classification and intercalibration in large international river basins – the Danube Dr. Ursula Schmedtje Secretariat of the ICPDR

2 Danube River Protection Convention a legal frame for co-operation to assure the protection of water and ecological resources and their sustainable use in the Danube River Basin International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR) has been established to implement the objectives and provisions and to achieve the goals of the Danube River Protection Convention Was signed 1994 and came into force in October 1998 The main objective of the Convention is the protection and sustainable use of ground and surface waters and riverine ecology, directed at basin-wide and sub-basin-wide cooperation with transboundary relevance.

Joint Action Programme 3 Joint Action Programme RIVER BASIN MANAGEMENT Emission inventory and pollution reduction Restoration of wetlands and flood plains Transnational Monitoring Network (TNMN) and extended water quality standards Priority substances / recommendations on BAT & BEP Accident warning system (AEWS) and prevention Flood control and sustainable flood prevention Domestic and basin wide water balance

Organisational Structure under the Danube River Protection Convention International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR) – Implementation of Danube River Protection Convention (DRPC) – Decision making, management and coordination of regional cooperation – Approval of the budget and annual work programme – Follow up of activities and evaluation of results from Expert Groups – Joint Action Programme Permanent Secretariat (PS) – Supporting the ICPDR sessions – Supporting the Expert Groups – Coordinating the work programme – Supporting project development and implementation – Maintenance of the Information System River Basin Management ( RBM EG ) – Integrated river basin management – Implementation of EU Water Framework Directive Ecology ( ECO EG ) – Habitats and species protection areas – Management of wetlands and floodplains Emissions ( EMIS EG ) – Emissions from point sources – Emissions from diffuse sources – Guidelines on BAT Monitoring, Laboratory and Information Mgmt ( MLIM EG ) – Trans-National Monitoring Network – Laboratory Quality Assurance Accident Prevention and Control ( APC EG ) – Accidental pollution incidents – AEWS operation – Accident prevention Flood Protection ( FLOOD EG ) – Preparation and imple-mentation of Action Plan for sustainable flood protection UNDP/GEF Danube Regional Project – Creation of sustainable ecological condi-tions for land use and water mngmt – Capacity building and reinforcement of trans-boundary cooperation – Strengthening public involvement in environmental decision making – Reinforcement of monitoring, evaluation and Information System UNESCO/IHP Water Balance WG – Preparation of Water Balance Standing Working Group (StWG) – Coordinating the work of the ICPDR – Guiding activities of the Expert Groups – Preparing policies and strategic issues of the ICPDR (work programme, TORs, etc.)

Danube River Protection Convention Regarding monitoring programmes, Contracting Parties shall harmonise or make comparable their monitoring and assessment methods, in particular in the field of river quality develop concerted or joint monitoring systems, communication and data processing facilities elaborate and implement joint programmes for monitoring the riverine conditions concerning water quantity and quality, sediments and riverine ecosystems

The Danube River Basin, a cultural and historical centre of Europe

Countries in the Danube River Basin 8 Countries in the Danube River Basin ICPDR Germany Croatia Small territories*: Austria Yugoslavia Switzerland Czech Republic Bulgaria Italy Slovak Republic Romania Poland Hungary Moldova Albania Slovenia Ukraine Macedonia Bosnia-Herzegovina *areas less than 2000 km² Dr. Ursula Schmedtje

3rd Plenary Session of the ICPDR - November 2000 - 10 3rd Plenary Session of the ICPDR - November 2000 - “The implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive is considered having the highest priority for the ICPDR. The ICPDR will provide the platform for the coordination necessary to develop and establish the River Basin Management Plan for the Danube River Basin. The Contracting Parties ensure to make all efforts to arrive at a coordinated international River Basin Management Plan for the Danube River Basin.” WFD calls for river basin approach - look at sub-basins!

Coordination Mechanisms in the DRB 11 Coordination Mechanisms in the DRB CH IT DE UA AT Bilateral agreements (examples) cooperation M D CZ PL ICPDR RBM EG SK platform for coordination information exchange develops strategy for producing the RBM Plan harmonisation of methods and mechanisms RO HU BG cooperation SI S- M M K BA HR AL Dr. Ursula Schmedtje

Development of the Danube RBM Plan - preparation phase 12 Development of the Danube RBM Plan - preparation phase European Commission Common Implementation Strategy Guidance documents ICPDR RBM EG Strategy for development of RBM Plan Work Plan Issue papers on special DRB topics roof report incl. transboundary issues public participation RBM Drafting Groups ECON ESG Economic analysis Danube GIS & mapping criteria GIS ESG typology of surface water bodies definition of reference conditions ecological classification MLIM EG significant pressures on surface waters effects from human activities on GW EMIS EG ECO EG register of protected areas (species) Dr. Ursula Schmedtje

Transnational Monitoring Network 13 Transnational Monitoring Network Activities to make TNMN operational Selection of monitoring sites (61 locations, with 93 sampling points) Selection of water quality determinands Harmonisation of methods for sampling and analysis Introduction of external control of laboratories Introduction of joint format for data exchange Administration of a Central database of TNMN data Publishing of Danube Yearbook Preparation of water quality classification Agreement to use the Saprobic System for biological water quality assessment This already shows the great need for co-ordination, especially in such a complex basin as the Danube. Therefore, I would like to present some of the ideas that are currently being developed by the River Basin Management Expert Group of the ICPDR

Monitoring sites of TNMN

Development of TNMN 1996 Start of monitoring in the frame of TNMN 1998 Start of monitoring of sediments Start of data collection from Ukraine and Moldava 2000 Start of load assessment programme 2001 Start of data collection from Serbia-Montenegro 2002 Start of adapting TNMN to the requirements of the WFD

Biological Elements for the Classification of the Ecological Status 16 Biological Elements for the Classification of the Ecological Status Dr. Ursula Schmedtje

Preparatory steps taken 17 Preparatory steps taken Establishment of homogenous data set Joint Danube Survey and Joint Tisza Survey investigating phytoplankton, zooplankton, phytobenthos, macrophytes and macrozoobenthos along the Danube from Regensburg to the Danube Delta – August/September 2001 Harmonisation of methods Issue paper developed on typology and definition of reference conditions – recommendation to use System B 1st Workshop on Typology, Ecological Classification and Definition of Reference Conditions in the DRB – Bucharest, February 2002 Nomination of national experts for development of typology and harmonisation on Danube basin-wide level This already shows the great need for co-ordination, especially in such a complex basin as the Danube. Therefore, I would like to present some of the ideas that are currently being developed by the River Basin Management Expert Group of the ICPDR

funded by the UNDP/GEF Danube Regional Project 18 Current activities funded by the UNDP/GEF Danube Regional Project Typology for the Danube River analyse data of Joint Danube Survey develop proposal combining the top-down and bottom-up approach Biological classification methods overview of methods in use in the Danube river basin 2nd Workshop on Typology and Ecological Classification present typologies of Danube countries and assess need for harmonisation agree on typology for Danube river assess needs for developing ecological classification methods September 2003 This already shows the great need for co-ordination, especially in such a complex basin as the Danube. Therefore, I would like to present some of the ideas that are currently being developed by the River Basin Management Expert Group of the ICPDR

19 Ecological quality assessment revolutionary approach? the only way forward? or impossible to implement? This already shows the great need for co-ordination, especially in such a complex basin as the Danube. Therefore, I would like to present some of the ideas that are currently being developed by the River Basin Management Expert Group of the ICPDR

Ecological quality assessment of the EU-WFD 20 Ecological quality assessment of the EU-WFD very ambitious - scientifically challenging - great difficulty to meet deadlines - classification methods will take more time to develop - data bases insufficient in many countries This already shows the great need for co-ordination, especially in such a complex basin as the Danube. Therefore, I would like to present some of the ideas that are currently being developed by the River Basin Management Expert Group of the ICPDR pragmatic approach needed making use of existing classification systems

Thank you for your attention. 21 Thank you for your attention. There will still be a lot of water down the Danube before the RBM Plan is achieved, but I am confident that with joint effort we will be able to succeed. with steady pace and coordinated steps we will be able to achieve the goal.