1. COAST Lisbon 27-28 February
Claire Vincent
Environment and Heritage Service
United Kingdom

2. Welcome to
Lisboa

3. Workshop Objectives To update COAST on progress
To identify common types within ecoregions / ecoregion complexes
To select common types for intercalibration & pressures
To share information on the development of classification tools
To clarify / define any future role for COAST within CIS phase II.

4. Update Status of guidance How issues were resolved
Future working arrangements for CIS

5. Status of Guidance Comments from Steering Group &
Norway
Finland
Latvia
Denmark
Netherlands
Ireland
Belgium
Portugal
Commission
Presented to Water Directors, November
Final version on CIRCA, January ‘03

6. Lessons learnt - COAST Pragmatism
Steering Group representative of all ecoregions
Steering
Group UK
Sweden
Germany
EEA
France
Remember GUIDANCE
Good communication
Belief in the process
Pragmatism

7. Stockholm+ Issues High status - physico-chemical dets.
Fishing pressure
High status / reference conditions
Role of physico-chemical etc
Approach to typology
Site specific / type specific
Use of pressure criteria

8. Worms

9. Issue 1 - High Status & Physico-chemical elements

10. Links between ecological & chemical status
Good ecological status
Good chemical status
EQOs for 18 list I substances under ‘daughter directives’

11. Elements of ecological status
General phys.-chemical parameters
Biological quality elements
Phys.-chemical parameters
Specific
Pollutants
Other chemical pollutants
Priority
substances
Hydromorphological quality elements

12. Specific pollutants & high status
COAST guidance now explains the terms
chemical status
relationship between chemical status & physico-chemical component of ecological status (ref - EAF PS / AMPS)
specific pollutants (ref - IMPRESS)

13. IMPRESS 3.5 Selecting relevant pollutants on river basin level

14. Issue 2 Fishing Pressure
Some fishing activities (benthic trawling) must constitute more that very minor disturbance 

15. Fisheries At Good Status Annex V 1.2.3
Description of fish fauna at good status
The abundance of the disturbance-sensitive species shows slight signs of distortion from the type-specific conditions attributable to anthropogenic impacts on physico-chemical or hydromorphological quality elements.

16. Issue 3 Do Reference Conditions = High Status?
Reference conditions are a description of the BIOLOGICAL conditions found in a high status site.

17. Ecological Quality Ratio
Deviation
Status
2A Ecological Status 1
High
Relation of biological
parameter
value observed
Good
Slight
EQR =
Moderate
Reference
biological value
Moderate
Poor
Bad

18. Issue 4 - Role of physico-chemical & hydromorphological elements

19. Role of physico-chemical and hydromorphological
Annex II 1.3i
…..type-specific hydromorphological and physico-chemical conditions shall be established representing the values of the hydromorphological and physico-chemical elements……at high ecological status.

20. Role of physico-chemical and hydromorphological
Intercalibration
Annex V, 1.4.1
Comparability of biological monitoring results
Intercalibration is on biological parameters only.
Common sense approach - use everything you have to support your decisions on biology!!
Physico-chemical & hydromorphological within a type support the biological information

21. Role of physico-chemical and hydromorphological
Annex V 1.4.2
…..the ecological status classification shall be represented by the lower of the values for the biological and physico-chemical monitoring results for the relevant quality elements…..

22. Do the estimated values for the biological quality elements meet reference conditions?
Do the physico-chemical conditions meet high status?
Do the hydro-morphological conditions meet high status?
Yes
Yes
Yes
Classify as high status No No No
Do the estimated values for the biological quality elements deviate only slightly from their reference values?
Do the physico-chemical conditions (a) ensure ecosystem functioning and (b) meet the EQSs for specific pollutants?
Yes
Yes
Classify as good status
2A Ecological Status No No
Classify on the basis of the biological deviation from reference conditions?
Is the deviation only moderate?
Yes
Classify as moderate status No
Is the deviation only major?
Yes
Classify as poor status No
Classify as bad status

23. Issue 5 - Differing approaches to typology

24. Is a European typology framework necessary?
1. Atlantic Ocean
2. Norwegian Sea
3. Barents Sea
4. North Sea
5. Baltic Sea
6. Mediterranean Sea

25. Is a European typology framework necessary?
No. As long as Member States understand the real differences and co-operate where there are similar types.

26. Issue 6 Type specific / site specific
The European Sea
EuroTypes A B C E D
Reference Conditions

27. Issue 7 Use of Pressure Criteria
Link - high status and lack of pressures
IMPRESS Toolbox is a useful starting point
Further use of pressure criteria is not in the spirit of the Directive
NORMATIVE DEFINITIONS

28. Future working arrangements for CIS….

29. COAST Conclusions - Stockholm
CIS process as valuable as guidance
There is a need for future work
classification
intercalibration
Meeting intensity - too high
Synergies with other CIS groups but there are also marine specific issues

30. Strategic Co-ordination Group
Water Directors
Strategic Co-ordination Group
2A Ecological
Status
2B Integrated RB Management
2C Groundwater 2D
Reporting

31. Artificial Heavily Modified
2A Ecological Status
Intercalibration
Classification
Monitoring
Eutrophication
Rivers Lakes Transitional Coastal
Artificial Heavily Modified
Drafting Groups
Maximum 10
2A Ecological
Status

32. Precise mandate from Working Group Single issue remit
Short life (< 1 year)
NOT Working Group
MUST consult
Drafting Groups
Maximum 10

33. Challenge for Lisboa…. Focused Accept the guidance produced so far
Know our remit & status
Build on existing work
Respect times!
Focused

35. Alternative Fish Classification
Status
Disturbance
Ecological Criteria
Fish sampled from clean, sandy sea bed.
Fish jump, when commanded into boat
in length stratified samples.
No beam trawling, seine
netting or interference
from Civil Servants
High
Fish are present but are slightly shy
of sampling equipment.
Slight disturbance due
to classification
scientists
Good
Only mentally challenged
species remain
All sensitive
species gone.
Moderate
Only mad (indicators) species left.
Flounder and sand goby.
Mud and stones
rip nets
Poor
Fish obscured by mud
Suspect flounder still present
Bad