WG A Ecological Status Rivers intercalibration – update on progress of groups with 6-month extension

River groups with extension Mediterranean GIG – all BQEs (except Fish) EC GIG – Macrophytes and Phytobenthos Large Rivers – Phytobenthos and Invertebrates Additional issue: macrophytes for NO GIG

MED GIG Progress with the work done by the Portuguese coordination theme No new Milestone delivered because the outcomes have not yet been discussed with the participating Member States – no new info to present to ECOSTAT Full results and draft final milestone report expected soon Final meeting 10-11 October to endorse final results

EC GIG Updated Milestone reports available on CIRCA Macrophytes: Methods available, data set in place Problems with RC – solution: ‘continuous benchmarking EC GIG can take advantage of the now finalized work in the CB GIG Phytobenthos: Analysis under way No major problems expected (?) Detailed Milestone reports expected with final resuts expected for next ECOSTAT

Large rivers Progress with the work done by the DE coordination theme Phytobenthos, Benthic Invertebrates No new Milestone delivered – no new info to report Full results and draft final milestone report expected in time to be included in the current IC

Macrophytes in NO GIG Macrophytes work never started in NO GIG JRC has asked the MS for clarifications UK: macrophyte method intercalibrated in CB GIG, considers that they have fulfilled their IC obligations SE, FI, NO have put together a (draft) document explaining the situation: SE, FI, NO have no final methods at the moment All three countries foresee such methods in the future: NO already late 2012 SE has recently started a research project FI sees this as something for future development

Macrophytes in NO GIG - Conclusions No macrophyte methods in the NO countries at the moment No NO macrophytes in the 2011 intercalibration Methods are in development – up to NO MS to intercalibrate them when ready Propose to distribute the note prepared by the NO countries to ECOSTAT

Method checking for the intercalibration exercise: what methods can be included in the exercise? ECOSTAT paper summarizing the situation and proposing solutions for problems encountered by the GIGs when applying the existing guidance (it is not a new guidance document) General issues (e.g. not all aspects of a BQE covered; no response to pressure demonstrated) and specific issues for the BQEs General recommendation: IC groups and/or MS should provide justifications that are strong enough to pass scientific peer review

Status of the paper… SCG 11-12 May: No need to have it endorsed by SCG/Water Directors as it is not a guidance document Paper updated after last ECOSTAT meeting  version 2.0 of 16 May 2011 taking into account the comments received Propose not to have another discussion/revision of the paper, but to bring up relevant issues with the intercalibration results