1. Urban Waste Water Reporting: a common approach!
Bob Dekker
the Netherlands

2. Some history 1990/1991: Bob was there!
1993: Commission Decision on formats for the presentation of national programmes
1999: Recommendations on formats for Situation reports and monitoring information
2001: operational database for monitoring information (UWWT database)
2003: use for 3rd Implementation Report
2004: start of UWWTD-REP working group

3. Why UWWTD-REP? More coherence in UWWTD reporting needed
Clarification of terms and definitions
Enlargement
Integration into WISE as a long-term perspective

4. Which tasks? To prepare a Guidance document on reporting for UWWTD
To identify data specific for UWWTD, and those shared between UWWTD and WFD
To set up a reporting mechanism as a continuous exercise for all MS
As the overall goal – to adjust the existing UWWTD database to updated reporting mechanism

5. Organisation and planning
According to mandate:
Active role for UWWTD-REP members: volunteers for preparation of documents
Steering group (D/A/F/IRL/NL/ETC)
Subgroup on UWWTD database and information exchange (chaired by F)
Draft and final guidance document to be discussed in UWWTD-REP, presented to UWWTD Committee and Water Directors and approved by UWWTD Committee by 22/12/05 at the latest.

6. Practice 2004 Practice in line with mandate
17th UWWTD Committee meeting (23 Nov.):
- much appreciation for UWWTD-REP products
- agreement on a lot of issues (e.g. reporting deadlines, definition of agglomeration/big city, assessment methodology on compliance of collecting systems)
- final versions to be presented to the next Committee meeting for approval

7. Practice 2005/2006
Reopening of discussion on quite a number of agreed issues
No presentation of final guidance document for approval by the Committee
Core problems:
- new reporting deadlines (186 months)
- new and disproportionate details for reporting

8. Examples
Period of 6 months between reference year and reporting deadline:
- absolutely unfeasible for MS
- not required by the UWWTD
- Commission Decision 93/481/EEC on formats of the Art. 17 Implementation programmes: 18 months!
New UWWT Database: detailed information such as actual overflow frequencies per agglomeration (even beyond the scope of the Art. 15 monitoring obligations!)

9. How to proceed? MS: urgent need for action indeed!
Commission: acknowledge practical difficulties of MS to provide new data within short deadlines!
Build on the 2004 Committee agreements
Reanimate UWWTD-REP for completing the job in a fruitful way:
- willingness for achieving consensus
- minor adjustments of existing UWWT database for reporting 2006 (on reference year 2004)
- take more time for major adjustments; for integration into WISE close cooperation with CIS reporting group needed!

10. Finally …. we have to keep in mind:
Core business of Directive 91/271/EEC is reducing urban waste water discharges
Current reporting practices appear to give the Commission ample opportunities for compliance checks and infringement procedures!
Indispensable:
- sound cooperation between Commission and MS
- broadly supported electronic questionnaire
Up to a common approach!

11. To avoid misunderstanding ….
Not the intention of MS!
In Commission’s eyes probably over the top!
Let ‘s cooperate!