1 Hellenic Water Week – International Seminar “The Implementation of the Water Framework Directive in the European Union and beyond” The state of the aquatic environment in Europe Presentation of the EEA Water Indicator Report Gordon McInnes Deputy Director European Environment Agency

2 Information needs for European policy State of Europe’s waters –How is it? (Nutrients, pesticides, heavy metals, ecological quality ) –How much is there? (Runoff, availability, demands, water stress ) Time trends –Getting better or worse? –Within or outside agreed limits?

3 Information needs for European policy Pressures on the environment Human Industrial Agricultural “What is causing the problems?” State of Action on policies “Are they working towards targets?”

4 EUROWATERNET is: “a network from which the EEA obtains the information on water resources (quality and quantity) needed to answer questions raised by its clients”. Questions may relate to general status of groundwaters, rivers, lakes, coastal and marine waters or specific issues e.g. water stress, nutrient status and acidification at a European level.

5 EUROWATERNET monitoring includes: Surface inland waters Groundwaters Coastal and marine waters Quality and quantity in terms of: – pressures – state – impact

6 Key concepts of EUROWATERNET: Samples existing national monitoring and information databases; Compares like-with-like; Has a statistically stratified design ‘tailor-made’ for specific issues and questions; and, Provides a known power and precision.

7 EUROWATERNET – River stations

8 EUROWATERNET Information on more than river stations in 29 countries, more than lake stations from 24 countries, and quality data from around 300 groundwater bodies in 20 countries. Annual update – latest update for 2001

9 There is a large nitrogen surplus in the agricultural soils of EU countries that can potentially pollute both surface and groundwaters Map Nitrogen surpluses in Europe (Kg N/ha agricultural land) Source: EC, 2002b.

10 Nitrate in rivers and fertiliser consumption 5 year running averageProxy indicator for intensive agricultural production (high livestock density etc.)

11  Nitrate concentrations in rivers have remained relatively stable throughout the 1990s and are highest in those western European countries where agriculture is most intensive Nitrate levels high and unchanged

12  There is no evidence of a decrease (or increase) in levels of nitrate in Europe’s groundwater Nitrate in groundwater

13 Pesticides are found in the newly formed groundwater Source: GEUS, Denmark 2001

14 Wastewater treatment in all parts of Europe has improved significantly since the 1980s.  However the percentage of population connected to wastewater treatment is relatively low in Belgium, Ireland, southern Europe and in the accession countries. Tertiary treatment (nutrient removal) Secondary (removal of organic matter) Primary treatment Percentage of population connected to urban waste water treatment

15 The quality of Europe’s rivers and lakes has improved markedly during the 1990s as a result of the reduction in loads of organic matter (BOD) and phosphorus from wastewater treatment and industry Phosphate BOD

16 Marked reduction in point sources loadings of Phosphorus Agriculture accounts now for 30-50% of loading North Sea – Baltic Sea late 80s Source: North Sea Progress Report 2002 & Finnish Environment Institute – Lääne et al 2002

17 Agriculture the main nitrogen source and accounts for about 60% of loading North Sea – Baltic Sea late 80s Source: North Sea Progress Report 2002 & Finnish Environment Institute – Lääne et al 2002

18 Chlorophyll in coastal and marine waters Average spring summer concentrations of chlorophyll like pigments in European seas determined from satellite observations Note. Average spring-summer (April-September) concentrations of chlorophyll-like pigments in European seas as determined from SeaWiFS satellite observations. The concentration scale (  g/l) is valid only for oceanic waters and overestimate to a large and variable degree the chlorophyll concentrations in coastal seas and the entire Baltic Sea as a result of high concentrations of coloured dissolved organic material (gelbstoff). Source: Joint Research Centre

19 On average, 33 % of total European water abstraction in countries is used for agriculture, 16 % for urban use, 11 % for industry (excluding cooling), and 40 % for energy production The southern accession countries and southern EU countries use the largest percentages of abstracted water for agriculture (75 %, and 50 %, respectively), primarily for irrigation. Western central and western accession countries are the largest users of water for energy production (primarily cooling water) (57 %), followed by urban use

20 Over the last decade there were decreases in water abstracted for agriculture, industry and urban use in central accession and western central countries, and in water used for energy production in western southern and western central countries.  There was an increase in agricultural water use in western southern countries. Agricultural use of water in three regions of Europe

21 The total water abstraction in Europe is about 353 km 3 /year, which means that 10 % of Europe's total freshwater resources is abstracted. The water exploitation index (WEI) in a country is the average annual total abstraction of freshwater divided by the long-term average freshwater resources. Notes: Solid bar: WEI without water abstraction for energy cooling. Dotted bar: WEI based on total water abstraction. WEI less than 10 % — non-stressed WEI between 10 and 20 % — low stress WEI greater than 20 % — stressed Source: Eurostat, New Cronos database.  Eighteen percent of Europe's population live in countries that are water stressed.

22  Large areas of the Mediterranean coastline in Italy, Spain and Turkey have been reported to be affected by saltwater intrusion. The main cause is groundwater over-abstraction for public water supply and in some areas abstractions for tourism and irrigation. Map Groundwater overexploitation and saltwater intrusion in Europe

23 Measures to control demand for water, such as water pricing, and technologies that improve water use efficiency are contributing to reductions in water demand.  Agriculture pays much lower prices for water than the other main sectors, particularly in southern Europe. Household water use and price of water in Hungary Agricultural, industrial and household water prices in late 1990s Source: Hungarian Central Statistical Office, 2001Source: OECD (1999, 2000, 2001).

24 Adverse impacts of agriculture Eutrophication of water bodies Contamination of drinking water Over-abstraction of water - salinisation Air emissions of acidifying and greenhouse gases Soil erosion Loss of biodiversity Changes to the landscape

25 Key agri-water policies Nitrate Directive Water Framework Directive Reform of the Common Agricultural Policy including rural development (agri-environmental measures)

26 Responses to reduce environmental impact of agriculture Good agricultural practices (water, nutrient and pesticide management) – voluntary agreements Full implementation of measures Increased irrigation efficiency Pricing of irrigation water Reduce use of fertilisers and pesticides by taxes Organic farming

27 EEA water assessments (SoE) State of the Environment reports Mid 1990s: Europes Environment - The Dobris Assessment ch. 5 Inland Waters & ch. 6 The Seas. European Rivers and Lakes - Assessment of their Environmental State The Environment in the European Union, ch. Water Late 1990s: Europe's Environment: The Second Assessment Ch. 9 Inland Waters & Ch. 10 Marine and Coastal Environment Environment in the European Union at the turn of the century Ch. 3.5: Water Stress & Ch Coastal and Marine Zones 2003: Kiev water chapter Indicator reports Water Stress in Europe - can the challenge be met? New year message : Sustainable use of Europe's water? State, prospects and issues Environmental Signals 2000: ch. 12 Water Quantity; ch. 13 Eutrophication Environmental Signals 2001: ch. 11 River water quality and ch. 12 Hazardous substances from marine sources Environmental Signals 2002: ch. 11 Inland and coastal waters Water quantity 1996: Water resources problems in Southern Europe : Sustainable water use in Europe - Part 1: Sectoral use of water; Part 2: Demand management; Part 3: Extreme hydrological events: floods and droughts EEA/WHO 2002: Water and health in Europe Groundwater 1999: Groundwater quality and quantity in Europe Inland surface waters 1999: Lakes and reservoirs in the EEA area 2000: Nutrients in European ecosystems Coastal waters 1999: State and pressure of the marine and coastal Mediterranean environment 2001: Eutrophication in Europe's coastal waters