1. REFCOND
EU Water Framework Directive project funded by the European Commission DG Environment Included in the EU Water Directors “Common Strategy on the Implementation of the WFD”

2. REFCOND Lead country: Associated partners: Sweden
Administration: Swedish EPA
Co-ordination: Swedish Univ. of Agr. Sciences
Associated partners:
Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain and UK; JRC

3. Objectives
To develop an operative definition of type specific reference conditions
To develop criteria for selecting techniques for establishing type specific reference conditions
To develop principles for setting the boundaries between high, good and moderate ecological status

4. WFD requirements
Biological reference conditions should be identified for each type of body of water
The reference conditions must satisfy certain chemical and hydro-morphological criteria

5. WFD requirements Criteria for reference conditions:
Hydro-morphological and physico-chemical parameters should reflect totally, or nearly totally, undisturbed conditions
Specific synthetic pollutants should have concentrations close to zero or at any rate below the limit of detection
Specific non-synthetic pollutants should have concentrations within the range normally associated with background levels

6. WFD requirements Identification of reference conditions:
Spatial data - existing monitoring sites
Historical data
Paleolimnology
Models - hindcasting and/or predictive
Expert judgement

7. Classification    Deviation Status 1 High Good Biological parameter
No/minimal 
Good
Slight
Biological parameter
value observed
Reference
biological value
EQR= 
Moderate
Moderate
Poor
Bad

8. Work programme Work packages: 1. Co-ordination
2. Establishment of project web-site
3. Agreement on common definitions
4. Review of techniques
5. Evaluation of techniques
6. Elaboration of first protocol draft
7. Review and validation of protocol
8. Finalisation of protocol

9. WORK PROGRAMME WORK PROGRAMME Evaluation of techniques
Evaluation of techniques and principles used by Member states for identification of reference conditions and principles for delineation of quality classes.

17. First draft guidance Elaboration of first draft of guidance. Typology
Reference conditions
Principles for setting class boundaries

18. Typology (1)
In the WFD implementation typology is required for different purposes: reference conditions, reporting, intercalibration
Reference conditions and reporting have different typology requirements

19. Typology (2)
System A is not suitable for type-specific reference conditions
types are not ecologically meaningful
within-type variability is not tested, but is likely to be too large

20. Typology (3)
Because in System B class boundaries are unspecified, there is a risk that different countries use incomparable systems
This would be an obstacle for comparison and harmonisation of assessment systems
A single, transparent core typology (to be refined locally) would be beneficial

21. Typology (4)
Reference conditions: site-specific RC preferable, but this requires models based on data and/or expert knowledge
To achieve this, a European initiative to bring together the data would be required

22. Determining reference conditions
Availability of data for water body type
Suggested Approach
Spatial network + predictive model
Yes
Minimally impacted sites available?
Minimally impacted sites available elsewhere? No
Borrow data and use in spatial network + predictive model
Yes
Historical data? No
Predictive model eg.palaeoecology; hindcasting
Yes
No relevant sites or data? No
Expert judgement model concept and test when data become available
Yes

23. Setting Class Boundaries

24. WFD - the normative classification can be summarized as:
high ≈ no or only minor deviations;
good ≈ low levels of disturbance, but deviate only slightly;
moderate ≈ moderate deviations and significant effects;
poor ≈ major biological alterations and substantial deviation;
bad ≈ severe biological alterations and large deviation.

25. Factors to be considered in setting class boundaries
number of classes - scientific or political
stressor - response relationship
variance within and among classes
errors

26. Quantifying ecological status: problem of errors
high good moderate poor bad
EQR

27. Review and finalisation of guidance
Review and validation of protocol.
All Member States are expected to review and comment on the guidance document
Will be finalised autumn 2002