Groundwater Working Group (WGC) and its links to the ‘WFD & Agriculture’ Steering Group Brussels – 20 April 2007 European Commission - DG Environment Unit D.2: Water and Marine

Common Implementation Strategy 2007-2009 Strategic Steering Group “WFD and Hydromorphology” Chair: DE, UK and Commission Water Directors Steering of implementation process Chair: Presidency, Co-chair: Commission Stakeholder Forum “Water Scarcity and Droughts” Chair: Commission Co- Chair: FR/ES/IT Strategic Steering Group “WFD and Agriculture” Chair: FR, UK and Commission Strategic Co-ordination Group Co-ordination of work programme Chair: Commission Art. 21 Committee Drafting Group “Objectives/Exemptions/Economics” Chair: Commission and DK Working Group A “Ecological Status” Chair: JRC, DE and UK Working Group D “Reporting” Chair: Commission, EEA and FR "GIS” Expert Network Working Group F “Floods” Chair: Commission Working Group C “Groundwater” Chair: Commission and AT “Chemical Monitoring” Working Group E “Priority Substances” Chair: Commission “Chemical Monitoring” Stakeholders, NGO’s, Researchers, Experts, etc.

Working Group C (2007-2009) Groundwater in the CIS Objectives & justification Need for continuous exchanges in support of the GWD implementation along the CIS principles Specific inputs required (best practices) about groundwater programmes of measures Agreement on common methodology for groundwater threshold values’ establishment and further discussions on compliance, status and trend assessment Exchanges for improving risk assessment of pollution and deterioration risks of groundwater

Working Group C & Links Planning 1st semester 2007 STRATEGIC CO-ORDINATION GROUP PLENARY WG C CHAIR: COM CO-CHAIR: AT WFD & Agriculture Expert group Water scarcity Expert group Programme of Measures Lead: ??? Co-lead: ??? Compliance & Trends Lead: AT Co-lead: UK + FR + EG Risk Assessment Lead: AT Co-lead: Nicole + Dechema Finalising “prevent/limit” guidance Exchanges of best practices Integrated groundwater management “Status & trend” guidance Agreement on common meth. Testing Accompanying TV establishment Harmonisation of risk assessments Identification of gaps and needs Principle: Three core activities with specific groups (to be formed) exchanging by e-mails and meeting if needed to discuss technical features. Outputs reported to Plenary meetings Organised twice per year in the EU Presidency country

Working Group C (2007-2009) Groundwater in the CIS Activity WGC-1 (Programme of measures) Objectives To coordinate exchanges on best practices and establish recommendations needed by Member States in the context of the identification of measures related to groundwater that will have to be included in the First River Basin Management Plan. This activity will cover, in particular: The finalisation of the "prevent/limit" guidance initiated in 2006, which aims to support the implementation of Article 6 of the new Groundwater Directive (covering both point and diffuse sources of pollution); Exchanges on Best Available Technologies related to groundwater measures, taking into account programmes of measures required under other EU Directives. These will include guidance on both point sources of pollution (including historical contaminated sites) and on diffuse sources, including agricultural diffuse pollution and megasites. This item will be closely linked to the "WFD & Agriculture" Expert Group with regard to diffuse agricultural sources.

Working Group C (2007-2009) Groundwater in the CIS Activity WGC-2 (Compliance & trends) Objectives Activity 2 aims to develop a guidance document on status compliance & trends, to agree on a common methodology to establish groundwater threshold values, and to support Member States in the establishment of groundwater threshold values along the provisions set by the new Groundwater Directive. The activity will cover: Development of the "status compliance & trends" guidance document, concerning both quantitative and chemical status issues. This had been planned in the former work programme but could not be initiated owing to delays in the adoption of the Groundwater Directive. With respect to trend assessment, the document will be largely based on the technical report developed in 2002, and will provide recommendations to Member States on how to undertake and interpret trend studies (including considerations on lag time of groundwater systems and how to integrate this in trend assessment); Exchanges of experiences on the establishment of groundwater threshold values, based on the outcome of the common methodology developed by the BRIDGE project (to be agreed by the Member States), and support of the Member States in this exercise in order to achieve harmonised groundwater chemical quality criteria throughout Europe by Dec.2008.

Working Group C (2007-2009) Groundwater in the CIS Activity WGC-3 (Risk assessment) Objectives Improved risk assessment for groundwater at river basin level in an integrated way is needed, complementing the characterisation carried out under Article 5 of the WFD, and this in view of the preparation of the First River Basin Management Plan. This activity will be developed with due consideration of the discussions on Water Scarcity and Droughts (WS&D expert group), the Activity on Waste Water Reuse, and the MED-EUWI Groundwater expert group. It will cover, in particular: Gathering and exchanging knowledge to issue recommendations on how to improve groundwater risk assessment, including harmonisation of conceptual modelling for water systems and visualisation of subsurface processes (in close connection with the newly started RiskBase project); Exchanges of good management practices, including issues such as artificial recharge and transboundary aquifer management, in order to develop technical recommendations supporting implementation of the new Groundwater Directive (in particular Article 6).

Working Group C & Links Planning 1st semester 2007 STRATEGIC CO-ORDINATION GROUP PLENARY WG C CHAIR: COM CO-CHAIR: AT WFD & Agriculture Expert group Water scarcity Expert group Programme of Measures Lead: ??? Co-lead: ??? Compliance & Trends Lead: AT Co-lead: UK + FR + EG Risk Assessment Lead: ? Co-lead: Nicole + Dechema “Prevent/limit” (PL) guidance <15/5/07 Questionnaire diffuse sources? TV methodology <30/5/07 “Status & trend” guidance <30/6/07 Planning of workshops <30/5/07 Quantitative status management, table of contents <30/5/07 Berlin – 3rd May 2007 (WG C plenary): planned discussions WGC-1: (1) approval of PL guidance; (2) discussion about WP, incl. diffuse pollution WGC-2: (3) approval of TV methodol.; (4) table of contents of status & trend guidance WGC-3: (5) table of contents of quant. Guidance (water scarcity group) + call for WGC Volunteers; (6) work/worlshop planning for other issues