River Intercalibration Phase 2: Milestone 4 reports Presented by Wouter van de Bund Joint Research Centre Institute for Environment and Sustainability

MacrophytesPhytobenthos Macro- invertebrates FishLarge rivers Cross GIG M3 report M4 report Meeting Minutes Alpine GIG n.a.M3 report C-B GIG M3 report[cross-GIG]M4 report Med GIG M4 report Eastern Continental GIG M3 reportM4 report Northern GIG [cross-GIG]M4 report Rivers - milestone 4 reports

Responsibilities/Participation Overview of national methods - Compliance checking (covered day 1) Feasibility check Collection of IC data set Reference Conditions (covered day 1) IC procedure and Common metrics Boundary setting, comparison and harmonisation Milestone 4 reports - overview

MacrophytesPhytobenthos Macro- invertebrates FishLarge rivers Cross GIG 15 MS 23 MS (- BG, HU) 14 MS (- FR) Alpine GIG n.a. Update round 1 not needed 6 MS C-B GIG 16 MS (+2)[cross-GIG] 3 MS with new/updated methods Med GIG 7 MS 6 MS GR missing 6 MS GR missing Eastern Continental GIG 3 MS + HR (- RO) 7 MS + HR Northern GIG [cross-GIG] 5 MS - no new/updated methods Participation

No big problems with participation Participation

Macrophytes Phytobentho s Macro- invertebrates FishLarge rivers Cross GIG 15 MS (CB, NO GIGs) 15 methods 12 (invert) 12 (phytobenthos) Alpine GIG 6 (round 1) C-B GIG 10 methods[cross-GIG] 18 (round 1) 3 (new/upd.) Med GIG 7 methods 6 methods (except GR) 7 methods Eastern Continental GIG 3 methods - RO, CZ missing 7 methods8 methods Northern GIG [cross-GIG]5 (round 1) National Methods

Sufficient methods to finalize intercalibration for all BQEs Improvement compared with milestone 3 report when a high proportion of methods was still ‘in development’; in EC GIG macrophytese this is still a problem Large river group needs to clarify which methods will be intercalibrated National methods

Typology issues now resolved - not an obstacle for intercalibration Feasibility check - typology

Mostly completed and not considered a problem for intercalibration Strong focus on pressure by nutrients/organic matter and ‘general pressure’, not much on hydromorphological pressures Large rivers - focus on phytobenthos, invertebrates; methods do not focus on hydromorphological pressures Feasibility check - pressures

Analysis completed in most GIGs - no big problems Macrophytes CB GIG: Dutch and Flemish methods focus on growth forms, others do not --> obstacle for intercalibration Large rivers: invertebrates: species data in most MS, family data in ES --> obstacle for intercalibration Feasibility check - Assessment concept

Macrophytes Phytobentho s Macro- invertebrates FishLarge rivers Cross GIG 3162 samples from 12 MS 4559 sites from 24 MS Invertebrates: ? samples Diatoms: ? samples Alpine GIG C-B GIG 1868 samples [cross-GIG] Use round 1 data Med GIG 481 samples 1200 samples from 6 MS 1330 samples Eastern Continental GIG 149 samples 1404 samples from 7 MS 1712 samples from 7 MS Northern GIG [cross-GIG] Collection of IC data sets

Data collection progress generally good Large rivers: no pressure gradient within, only between countries Large rivers: Additional MS have contributed data - now probably sufficient data to carry out the IC Collection of IC data set

Already presented on first day Reference conditions/Alternative Benchmarking

MacrophytesPhytobenthos Macro- invertebrates FishLarge rivers Cross GIG Option 2 Different options in different regional groups Option 2 / Option 3 / Options 2 and 3 combined Phytobenthos : Option 2 Invertebrates: Option 2 (needs to be modified) Alpine GIG Option 2 C-B GIG Option 3[cross-GIG]Option 2 Med GIG to be decided (option 1 or 3a) Option 2 Eastern Continental GIG Option 3 (?)Option 2 Northern GIG [cross-GIG]Option 2 Intercalibration Options

River Phytobenthos/Invertebrate groups need to use Option 2 (differences in sampling/processing) Macrophytes: option 3 with common metrics possible (as recommended in Guidance) Fish: option 2 and option 3 applied, depending on the regional group Large Rivers: decision has been taken to use option 2 for phytobenthos; for benthic fauna no decision yet Intercalibration options

Macrophytes Phytobentho s Macro- invertebrates FishLarge rivers Cross GIG OK Multimetric index derived from EFI+ is applied wherever possible Ongoing Alpine GIG C-B GIG in progress[cross-GIG] Med GIG Option 1 or 3a OK OK - same as in round 1 Eastern Continental GIG in progressOK existing mICM tested Northern GIG [cross-GIG] Intercalibration Common Metrics

Fish, Phytobenthos - common metric development successfully completed Macroinvertebrates - common metrics developed in Phase 1, are further tested and refined in and EC GIG Macrophytes - work on real common metrics ongoing; can use pseudo-common metrics in any case Intercalibration Common Metrics

Macrophytes Phytobentho s Macro- invertebrates FishLarge rivers Cross GIG National Alpine GIG National C-B GIG National[cross-GIG]National Med GIG National Eastern Continental GIG National Northern GIG [cross-GIG]National Description of boundary setting

Boundary setting at national level, not at GIG level Statistical rather than ecological boundary setting in most cases: HG as percentile of reference sites, other boundaries by equal devision For final report a summary/analysis of the national approaches is needed Description of boundary setting

Macrophytes Phytobentho s Macro- invertebrates FishLarge rivers Cross GIG tested, not yet reported Almost completed not yet Alpine GIG Round 1 C-B GIG tested, not yet reported [cross-GIG]Round 1 Med GIG not yet Eastern Continental GIG tested, not yet reported not yet Northern GIG [cross-GIG]Round 1 APPLICATION Annex V COMPARABILITY CRITERIA

Application comparability criteria Comparability criteria only fully applied in the fish IC group Old invertebrate results have been checked against the new criteria - no problems --> this needs to be reported! Macrophytes, phytobenthos: no results yet -- need to speed up!

Expected Results amd requests for extension (reported to WD December 2010) MacrophytesPhytobenthos Macro- invertebrates Fish Alpine GIG n.a. C-B GIG [cross-GIG] Med GIG Extension requested Eastern Continental GIG Extension requested Northern GIG [cross-GIG]

Additional request for extension for EC phytobenthos MacrophytesPhytobenthos Macro- invertebrates Fish Alpine GIG n.a. C-B GIG [cross-GIG] Med GIG Extension requested Eastern Continental GIG Extension requested Extension requested as well Northern GIG [cross-GIG]

Expected Results - Large Rivers (reported to WD December 2010 Large Rivers Phytobenthos Macroinvertebrates Extension requested Macrophytes Fish Phytoplankton

River intercalibration - Summary Work on track for fish IC Other BQEs need to speed up applying the comparability criteria, especially those due to finish June month extension granted for MED GIG (3 BQEs), large rivers invertebrates, EC GIG macrophytes additional extension requested for EC GIG, phytobenthos (justification provided, need to implement alternative benchmarking)