Horizontal Guidance on Wetlands Brussels, 5th May

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

Specific comments received on Version 3.0

Identifying wetlands under the WFD (Chapter 2); Further Obligations deriving from Community legislation (Chapter 3.2); Protected Areas and the Water Framework Directive (Chapter 3.6); Programme of Measures & Wetlands (Chapter 5); Cost effectiveness (formerly: Identifying Cost effective Measures) (Chapter 5.3)

‘Habitats’ and ‘Wild Birds’ Ramsar and wetlands Commission Communication to the Council and the European Parliament on the Wise Use and Conservation of Wetlands (1995) ‘Habitats’ and ‘Wild Birds’ Open issues? Basic and Supplementary Measures Monitoring no strict requirement, IMPRESS, groundwater and dependent ecosystems