1. Working Group 2A ECOSTAT progress report Presented by Wouter van de Bund Joint Research Centre Institute for Environment and Sustainability

2. ECOSTAT work programme 2007-9
Activity 1 – Intercalibration
Activity 2 – Eutrophication
Activity 3 – Harmonisation of biological methods
Activity 4 – Ecological Status Classification

3. Activity 1 - Intercalibration
Technical work completed for many quality elements
Included in draft Commission Decision annex
Technical work still in progress for other quality elements
Final deadline for GIGs 15 June
To be agreed by ECOSTAT 3-4 July
Results in draft Decision annex September

4. Intercalibration status green – results in draft Decision; yellow – results to be reported to ECOSTAT 15 June; red – not completed in current exercise

5. Intercalibration - expected gaps
Rivers:
macrophytes, fish
Lakes:
macroinvertebrates, phytobenthos, fish
Coastal/transitional waters:
Phytoplankton composition, fish (for TW)
Many results are at parameter level (e.g. Chl-a), not at QE level
Inerpretation of results problematic  guidelines

6. Intercalibration of fish in rivers
Pilot exercise has been completed
Report will be available June 2007
Not possible to complete IC now:
Need for further development of common metrics
Need for MS to finalise fish methods
Need to bring together more data
Possible to complete IC by end 2009 – provided that there is a mandate to start the work autumn this year

7. Intercalibration technical report
Final draft expected autumn 2007 (with Commission Decision)
Based on GIG reports
Contains all relevant background information
Analysis of limitations of exercise
Analysis of confidence and precision of results

8. Intercalibration guidelines
First draft discussed at April ECOSTAT meeting
Drafting group established: UK, Germany, Belgium, Denmark, Spain, France, DGENV, JRC
State of play will be reported at Committee meeting 16 May

9. Activity 2 - Eutrophication
Eutrophication steering group met 25 April to discuss state of play and propose way forward
See document “Mandate to review the guidance document on eutrophication assessment”
Progress
Scope of review of the guidance document
Timetable and organisation

10. Activity 2 - Eutrophication
At request of DGENV, JRC has initiated a drafting group on eutrophication of transitional waters
Provide technical input for guidance document
Call for experts to join this drafting group foreseen second half of May (through ECOSTAT group)

11. Activity 3 – Harmonisation of biological methods
Agreement on work plan to produce guidance document by end 2008:
Common understanding of Annex V requirements
Criteria for validation/qualification of methods (ensuring comparability and scientific quality)
Application of current standard methods
Further standardisation needs
Call for experts to join harmonisation drafting group foreseen second half of May (through ECOSTAT group)

12. Activity 4 – Ecological Status Classification
France has taken the initiative to organise ECOSTAT workshop to share MS experiences with classification in practice (Paris, June)
Based on the workshop outcome WGL will propose work plan for Activity 4 for July ECOSTAT meeting

13. Activity 4 – Ecological Status Classification – Alien Species
Drafting group is being set up to deal with issue of alien species and the WFD
Call for experts to join this drafting group foreseen second half of May (through ECOSTAT group)
Workshop planned late 2007/early 2008 prepared by drafting group