1. Meeting of Water Directors
2/3 December 2004
Agenda item 6.1 –
Water Information System for Europe (WISE) in the context of wider discussion on environmental reporting

2. Introduction
Water Information System for Europe (WISE) developed and agreed through concept paper
New, innovative approach for water reporting phasing out the existing, inefficient paper-based reporting
One conceptual approach fulfilling several purposes/needs
Aims at developing the water component in a wider system of environmental reporting

3. AIMS
Efficient management of information on water
Coherence between various reporting mechanisms
Acces to information / data

4. Current situation
Information Users
Public
M S
EEA
Intern.
Conv.
Information
COM
Information
Information
Information
Information
Member States
Data
Data treatment

5. Purposes for reporting
Common vision
Information Users
Policy
Effectiveness
Public
M S
EEA
Intern.
Conv.
Useful
Information
COM
SoE
Trends An.
Data treatment
/ aggregation
Compliance
checking
Member States
Data
Purposes for reporting
Drivers for data collection

6. “Useful data/information”
INSPIRE,
WISE
EU wide
Water-related data / hydrography
Other environmental compatrm. (soil, air)
Driving forces (e.g. agriculture, transport)
1 Member State
EGM
1 river basin
(district)
communication tools between levels and layers
aggregation rules
quality checks
1 sub-basin
Regional
and local
tools
1 water body
1 monitoring station
Tools
1 sample
Layers
biology
pollutants
physico.
morphol.

7. Development of a new, comprehensive,shared
Objective
Development of a new, comprehensive,shared
European data and information management system for water, including river basins (WISE).
The system should be based on the concept paper and should be fully implemented by 2010

8. Wider environmental reporting
Standardised reporting directive – revision under discussion
INSPIRE – Commission proposal adopted
Processes under other directives/policies (e.g. IPPC-EPER and PRTR)
Ideas of the EEA, ESTAT, JRC, others
Discussion in EPRG (Environmental Policy Review Group – MS Environmental Director Generals)

9. Opportunities Long term vision Linkages INSPIRE, GMES Policy tool
Different interests of EU bodies (ENV, JRC, EEA, EUROSTAT), WISE based on joint EU position

10. Obstacles
Member States are reactive not proactive (no real interest that the system works)
Compatibility with existing (national) systems
Timelines tight
Reporting authority: MS
but reporting unit: river basin district
Harmonisation vs. diversity of approaches
How to deal with Community languages?
Timing of INSPIRE/New Reporting Directive

11. Summary WISE is the best way forward for water-related reporting
Joint process of EU bodies and MS is crucial for success
WISE conceptually fully integrated in wider environmental reporting discussion (incl. INSPIRE)
WISE can serve as a test case/pilot but details need further elaboration/clarification