Horizontal Guidance on Wetlands Rome, 12nd June

Participants to the discussion Austria; Bulgaria; Czech Republic; Denmark; Flanders; France; Germany; Greece; Hungary; Ireland; Italy (Leader) Lithuania; Romania, Slovakia; Slovenia; Spain; UK; Finland, Netherlands Commission; EEB; WWF; Evaluwet

Objective of the work according to the ToR endorsed in Copenhagen 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.

Common Text Wetland ecosystems are ecologically and functionally significant elements of the water environment…... Relevant definitions are developed in CIS horizontal guidance documents on water bodies and are further considered in a guidance on wetlands. Pressures on wetlands…… The relevance of wetlands within programmes of measures is examined in the horizontal guidance paper on wetlands.

Drafting Processes January 2003: Draft 1.0 circulated to WGMs 29th January 2003: First Meeting in Brussels WGMs sent comments on chapters I,II&ToC Draft 2.0 Presented to the SGC (21th Feb.) SGC sent comments on Draft 2.0 Draft 2.1 Sent to the WGMs (13th March) Some WGMs sent comments

Discussion at the SCG (5th May) Drafting Process (Cont.) 24 March 2003: Second Meeting in Rome: WWGs discussed Vers. 2.1 Draft 3.0 Sent to WWGMs (2nd April) WWGs sent comments on Draft 3.0 Draft 4.0 (Final) Stored in CIRCA and sent to WGMs and SCG ( 24th April) Discussion at the SCG (5th May)

2. IDENTIFYING WETLANDS UNDER THE WATER FRAMEWORK DIRECTIVE Table of Contents FOREWORD 1. INTRODUCTION 2. IDENTIFYING WETLANDS UNDER THE WATER FRAMEWORK DIRECTIVE 3. WFD ENVIRONMENTAL OBJECTIVES AND WETLANDS 4. WETLANDS AND THE IMPACTS AND PRESSURES ANALYSIS 5. THE PROGRAMME OF MEASURES AND WETLANDS 6. MONITORING AND WETLANDS

IDENTIFYING WETLANDS UNDER THE WATER FRAMEWORK DIRECTIVE Ecosystems relevant to the achievement of WFD objectives Ecosystems significantly influencing the quality or quantity of water reaching surface water bodies or surface water connected to surface water bodies Wetlands River, lake, transitional water or coastal water body Terrestrial ecosystems directly dependent on groundwater bodies Small elements of surface water not identified as water body but connected to surface water body Riparian, shore or intertidal zone hydromorphological quality elements of surface water bodies

IDENTIFYING WETLANDS UNDER THE WATER FRAMEWORK DIRECTIVE Rivers Terrestrial ecosystems directly dependent on groundwater for their water needs Lakes and small elements of surface water Hydromorphological quality elements of surface water bodies Transitional & coastal waters

WFD ENVIRONMENTALOBJECTIVES AND WETLANDS Summary of the main requirements Surface waters objectives and wetlands The relationship between wetland systems and Heavily Modified Water Bodies Wetlands and Groundwater Wetlands in relation to transitional and coastal waters Protected Areas and the Water Framework Directive

WETLANDS AND THE IMPACTS AND PRESSURES ANALYSIS Relevant Objectives in the Impacts and Pressures Analysis Understanding relevant pressure-impact relationships Understanding the impact of future pressures Pressure screening and threshold values

THE PROGRAMME OF MEASURE AND WETLANDS Basic and supplementary measures Wetlands in the design of measures Cost Effectiveness 'Significantly Better Environmental Options' Wetland Creation, Maintenance and Enhancement to Achieve WFD Objectives

MONITORING AND WETLANDS ANNEX II: WETLANDS FUNCTIONS ANNEX III: RECENT PROJECTS FINANCED BY THE EUROPEAN UNION

Following the discussion of the draft GD (version 4 Following the discussion of the draft GD (version 4.0) at the SCG (5th of May) The SCG decided to extend the time schedule for its finalisation in order to account for further consultation. This consultation will ensure the adequate inclusion of comments raised by various SCG members. The SCG invited the DG leader to review and modify the current version regarding the comments and clarifications provided by the SCG, in particular taking into account the following issues:

provide within the wetlands GD a clear distinction between WFD obligations and suggested potential best practices for wetlands, which go beyond the legal requirements of the WFD, seek input from groundwater experts, preferably via Expert Advisory Forum on Groundwater (or in a later stage via WG 2C), to consider the relocation of the section monitoring of wetlands to an annex, clarify the role of wetlands when designing Programmes of Measures,

set clearly which obligations in relation to wetlands are linked to the different stages of the WFD implementation (Article 5 requirements by 2004, Monitoring requirement by 2006, Programme of Measures required by 2009…), address the specific hydro-geographic situation of certain countries (to avoid superfluous administrative burdens or unnecessary burden of prove); e.g. The Netherlands.

The SCG invited DG Wetlands to consider all these comments and revise the documents within the following schedule: SCG comments on the version 4.0 received the 21st May 2003, the DG will produce version 5.0 of the GD integrating all these comments to be discussed within the WG 2B in their meeting early in July 2003, in addition the DG will also present to the WG 2B in July, a separate paper on issues considered as open within the GD (in case there are any) and a document on questions and items to be inserted in the annex of the Terms of Reference of the Pilot River Basin exercise, the WG 2B will consider the documents, discuss and agree an appropriate timetable for the finalisation of the GD in order to ensure that a final draft is presented to the SCG meeting in September/October 2003.

Moreover, the Commission will address the Pilot River Basin Leaders and explore their willingness to volunteer to test the guidance and to report back to the SCG. Finally, the SCG will discuss the final draft and the process for finalisation of the DG in their meeting in September/October 2003.