Working Group 2A ECOSTAT progress report Presented by Wouter van de Bund Joint Research Centre Institute for Environment and Sustainability

ECOSTAT work programme 2007-9 Activity 1 – Intercalibration Activity 2 – Eutrophication Activity 3 – Harmonisation of biological methods Activity 4 – Ecological Status Classification

Activity 1 - Intercalibration Technical work completed for many quality elements Included in draft Commission Decision annex Technical work still in progress for other quality elements Final deadline for GIGs 15 June To be agreed by ECOSTAT 3-4 July Results in draft Decision annex September

Intercalibration status green – results in draft Decision; yellow – results to be reported to ECOSTAT 15 June; red – not completed in current exercise

Intercalibration - expected gaps Rivers: macrophytes, fish Lakes: macroinvertebrates, phytobenthos, fish Coastal/transitional waters: Phytoplankton composition, fish (for TW) Many results are at parameter level (e.g. Chl-a), not at QE level Inerpretation of results problematic  guidelines

Intercalibration of fish in rivers Pilot exercise has been completed Report will be available June 2007 Not possible to complete IC now: Need for further development of common metrics Need for MS to finalise fish methods Need to bring together more data Possible to complete IC by end 2009 – provided that there is a mandate to start the work autumn this year

Intercalibration technical report Final draft expected autumn 2007 (with Commission Decision) Based on GIG reports Contains all relevant background information Analysis of limitations of exercise Analysis of confidence and precision of results

Intercalibration guidelines First draft discussed at April ECOSTAT meeting Drafting group established: UK, Germany, Belgium, Denmark, Spain, France, DGENV, JRC State of play will be reported at Committee meeting 16 May

Activity 2 - Eutrophication Eutrophication steering group met 25 April to discuss state of play and propose way forward See document “Mandate to review the guidance document on eutrophication assessment” Progress 2006-7 Scope of review of the guidance document Timetable and organisation

Activity 2 - Eutrophication At request of DGENV, JRC has initiated a drafting group on eutrophication of transitional waters Provide technical input for guidance document Call for experts to join this drafting group foreseen second half of May (through ECOSTAT group)

Activity 3 – Harmonisation of biological methods Agreement on work plan to produce guidance document by end 2008: Common understanding of Annex V 1.3.6 requirements Criteria for validation/qualification of methods (ensuring comparability and scientific quality) Application of current standard methods Further standardisation needs Call for experts to join harmonisation drafting group foreseen second half of May (through ECOSTAT group)

Activity 4 – Ecological Status Classification France has taken the initiative to organise ECOSTAT workshop to share MS experiences with classification in practice (Paris, 11-12 June) Based on the workshop outcome WGL will propose work plan for Activity 4 for July ECOSTAT meeting

Activity 4 – Ecological Status Classification – Alien Species Drafting group is being set up to deal with issue of alien species and the WFD Call for experts to join this drafting group foreseen second half of May (through ECOSTAT group) Workshop planned late 2007/early 2008 prepared by drafting group