1. Working Group A Ecological Status - ECOSTAT State of play in the intercalibration exercise Water Directors Meeting, November 2005

2. Intercalibration: Setting of good status class boundaries
high
good
moderate
poor
bad 1
Consistent with WFD definitions
Comparable between all 25 Member States OK
Restoration
needed
EQR

3. Boundary Setting Procedure

4. Boundary Setting Procedure – a stepwise manual for the process
How to set boundaries consistent with WFD normative definitions
Describes steps that need to be taken to
agree on reference conditions
bring together data sets to illustrate change of biological quality elements;
Guides how to take decisions and proceed;
Provides practical examples;

5. etc….

6. BSP - general remarks Provides transparency to the process;
Provides comparability between Geographical Intercalibration Groups (GIGs);
Provides a template for reporting;
Depends on availability of data showing degradation pathways for biological parameters;
Now being tested in practise; will be updated in 2006; and presented for endorsement;

7. Current Progress in intercalibration

8. Organisation for the intercalibration
ECOSTAT Working Group A
Intercalibration Steering Group
JRC
Lake Expert Group coord: JRC/ LV
River Expert Group coord: UK/ JRC
Coast Expert Group coord: UK
Lake experts/ GIGs
River experts/ GIGs
Coast experts/GIGs
List of coutries belonging to each GIG is Annexed to the Commission Decision on the Intercalibration Register
CBA
LNO
LCE
LME
RNO
RCE
RME
CNE
CBL
LAL
LAT
RAL
REC
CME

9. Intercalibration timetable
2004
2005
2006 7 8 9 10 11 12 1 2 3 4 5 6
GIG milestones M1 M2 M3 M4 M5 M6
Steering Group
Summarise GIG progress reports and prepare WG meetings
WG2A X
SCG
Regular progress reports
IC Report D1 D2 F
Translation, Committee
agreement X
Progress until now following timetable in Guidance
Final report in June 2006;
All intermediate milestone reports available at:

10. Involvement of countries in GIGs all countries involved; yellow most (> 50%) countries involved; 
RIVERS
LAKES
COAST
Mediterranean
Central/ Baltic
NE Atlantic
Alpine
Baltic Sea
Eastern Continental
Atlantic
Black Sea
Northern              

11. Biological Quality elements included
Phyto-plankton
Benthic inverte-brates
Fish
Macrophytes & Phytobenthos
Rivers
Full
Lakes
Chl
Coastal
Chl
Transitional
Full intercalibration (all parameters) in all GIGs
Partial intercalibration in all GIGs (only chlorophyll a)
Preparatory work & partial intercalibration in some GIGs
Intercalibration work has not yet started in any GIG

12. Current Status – Summary (1)
Process following agreed timetable;
Most countries are involved; some coutries are missing in some GIGs (problem!);
Strong focus on few quality elements (even on single parameters) and pressures;
Lots of work is preparatory and explorative; and will not be finished in 2006;

13. Current Status – Summary (2)
GIGs are collating data and carrying out process following the outline in Guidance and BSP manual;
Milestone reports suggests that BSP guidance may need to be reviewed later in 2006;
Most countries are still developing WFD compliant methods for biological QE - not ready in 2006;
Only partial intercalibration possible in 2006;
All GIGs will make at least partially one QE

14. Key issues of the intercalibration process

15. Participation in GIGs is crucial
Intercalibration is about comparing and harmonising Member States views on good status class boundaries (bottom-up approach);
No clear views  no intercalibration!
Process will be completed between the countries that participate;
Others are expected to harmonise their boundaries with published outcome, when possible;

16. Organisation & work in GIGs
Resources!
Lack of funding - free venues for meetings needed!
Getting all countries to attend ALL the meetings;
Getting the same PEOPLE from ALL the countries to attend ALL the meetings;

17. GIG-networks
Cross-GIG coherence promoted by joint meetings; steering group, experts participating in several GIGs;
GIG networks very useful for information exchange on best practises in monitoring and classification;
Promotes long term harmonisation of methods (collaboration with ECOSTAT, CEN & GIGs is already started)
Collaboration with EU research projects has been very fruitful and should be continued;

18. Reporting & continuation
Final overview which Quality Elements/ pressures/ methods will be intercalibrated and evaluation of cross-GIG coherence in March;
Report on results of the intercalibration Exercise submitted for CIS process in June;
Preparatory & exploratory results reported separately (as basis for continuation);
ECOSTAT will prepare a proposal for continuation for WFD Committee in May;

19. The Water Directors are invited:
to take note of the process of the intercalibration;
Discuss and agree on the use and publication of the Boundary Setting protocol;
Discuss the need for the further continuation and completion of the intercalibration exercise after 2006.
Endorse the preparation of a plan (work programme) for further intercalibration work beyond 2006
Next presentation about communication and transparency of the intercalibration exercise…..

20. WG A ECOSTAT 13-14 Oct., Stresa, Italy
Thank you!
WG A ECOSTAT Oct., Stresa, Italy