1. Priority substances Water Directors meeting Paris 24-25 November 2008
Jorge Rodriguez Romero
European Commission, DG Environment
Unit D.2 – Water and Marine, WFD Team Coordinator

2. Environmental Quality Standards Directive
Timetable of EQS Directive
2nd reading in the Plenary Meeting of the European Parliament
17 June 2008
Commission Opinion on the 2nd Reading
17 July 2008
Adoption by the Environment Council
20 October 2008
Signature EP/Council
Strasbourg December 2008
Publication in the Official Journal
Jan-Feb 2009
Transposition (Art. 12)
18 months

3. Environmental quality standards (Art. 3)
Art 3: sets the Environmental Quality Standards for Priority Substances
MS may designate mixing zones adjacent to points of discharge
technical guidelines to be adopted by comitology
MS should establish an inventory of emissions, discharges and losses of Priority Substances
2018: COM should verify the reduction or cessation objectives
Technical guidelines for the establishment of the inventory to be adopted by comitology
Art 8: COM should consider inter alia the 13 substances in Annex III of the EQS Directive for possible identification as PS and PHS
COM should report in 24 months accompanying if relevant with proposals to identify new PS as PHS, or to identify certain PS as PHS or to set corresponding EQS for surface water, sediment or biota

4. Work programme for the review of the PS
2009
2010
Monitoring based prioritisation (INERIS)
EQS methodology
Prioritisation methodology (JRC)
Application of EQS
Impact assessment, consultation on drafts
Commission proposal

5. Monitoring database 24 Member States & CH and NO
(BG, EL and MT missing)
analysis, 937 substances
new data collection is still needed, in particular for:
the Member States who did not provide data or report small datasets
sediment and biota
transitional and coastal waters
13 substances that are in the Annex III of the new Directive
15 January 2009: data submission using the available data end-user tool

6. Draft Mandate for a mixing zones guideline
To elaborate the technical guidelines as requested in Article 4(4) EQS Directive
Drafting Group: co-chaired by the UK, NL and COM
Other participants (DE, HU, EUROELECTRIC, CEFIC, CONCAWE, EUREAU and ESPO + BE - to test the guidance)
early 2009: 1st draft guidance
Testing phase 2nd trimester 2009
Finalisation autumn 2009, adoption by WFD Committee early 2010
Water Directors are invited to endorse the draft mandate and the proposed approach of the drafting group