1. Integrated Testing in Pilot River Basins
Progress Report to the Strategic Co-ordination Group 27-28th October 2003

2. Actions during the reporting period
WORKPLAN FOR 2003
Actions during the reporting period
Action 1: Comments/approaches on testing water bodies, and Progress Report (by 30th June 2003)
Action 2: PRB Steering Group meeting (8th July 2003, Bruxelles)
Action 3: Answers to the ToR (Art. 5), and Progress Report (by 30th September 2003)
Action 4a: First compilation of reports (beginning of October 2003)
Action 4b: 3rd Meeting of the PRB Steering Group (14th October 2003) followed by the Drafting Group meeting (15th October 2003, Bruxelles)
Action 4c: Preliminary synthesis (early November 2003, before Water Director meeting and 3rd PRB Workshop)
Action 5: Summary Workshop tackling 3-4 cross-cutting issues related to Art. 5 (27-28th November 2003, Belgirate)
Action 6: Draft of overall report (drafting group) summarising progress and gaps

3. Actions 1 & 2: Comments/approaches on Water Body identification (by 30th June 2003), and progress reviewed at the 2nd PRB Steering Group meeting (8th July 2003, Bruxelles)
A key message from the Water Director meeting in Athens stating that the PRB exercise is a very important aspect of the CIS boosted the process. The WDs also asked for a stronger leadership from the Commission.
The response of the PRB co-ordinators has been very good, with Progress Reports and many Water Body reports delivered on time.
Due to the importance of testing the horizontal guidance on water bodies, some more time for answers was left (15th September). To further support this specific testing, it was also agreed to hold a workshop on the identification of water bodies in September.

4. Actions 1 & 2: Comments/approaches on Water Body identification (by 30th June 2003), and progress reviewed at the 2nd PRB Steering Group meeting (8th July 2003, Bruxelles)

5. Thematic Workshops
Objective: Bring together experts from the PRBs with those involved in drafting the guidance documents and in national projects, in order to share views and experience.
Workshop on “Identification of Surface Water Bodies”, Brussels, September 2003
Workshop on economic analyses, Paris, October
Workshop on “Groundwater Characterisation”, Brussels, 13 October 2003

6. Action 3: Answers to the ToR (Art
Action 3: Answers to the ToR (Art. 5), and Progress Report (by 30th September 2003)

7. Table of Content (ToC) of the Output report
Action 4b: 3rd Meeting of the PRB Steering Group (14th October 2003) followed by the Drafting Group meeting (15th October 2003, Bruxelles)
Creation of a Drafting Group (out of the PRB Steering Group) with the mandate of being responsible for drafting the PRB Output Report.
Table of Content (ToC) of the Output report
Chapter 2 will focus on the characteristics of a PRB which are important for the outcomes of the testing
Chapter 3 will address the analyses of the outcomes of the testing.
Annex 1 will contain the first elaboration of the answers given by the PRBs
Annex 2 will gather the answers given by the PRBs to the ToR questions; it will be available only digitally (CIRCA).

8. Timing & deliverables
For the WD meeting: ToC, drafts of Chapter 1, Chapter 2 and Annex 1 (and Annex 2 digitally) Give WDs an insight into the “elaborated basis” for the analysis in Chapter 3.
First draft of Chapter 3: Available by middle November. Drafting to be started after uploading of the documents for the WDs.
Discussion and review of the draft Output Report at the PRB Workshop on 27-28th November in Belgirate.
Different levels of responses of the PRBs and very tight deadlines for reporting: ask for an extension to ensure quality of the outcome report

9. 3rd PRB Workshop 27-28th November, Belgirate
Objectives:
Presentation and discussion of the Output Report on Art. 5
Selection of 3-4 specific issues for which further discussion is necessary from PRBs reports
On-line registration at:

10. PRB WORKPLAN FOR 2004 Preliminary discussion
Phase 1b: Guidance documents not included in Phase 1a (Art. 5), e.g. monitoring, HMWB, GIS, Planning process, intercalibration (originally foreseen for the first half 2004).
Phase 2 will further develop integrated testing to contribute to producing Program of Measures and a River Basin Management Plan (originally starting during the second half of 2004)

11. The members of the Strategic Co-ordination Group are invited to:
Take note of the progress made on the PRB testing exercise,
Agree on the process presented for the finalisation of the report and extension of the deadline,
Agree on the table of content proposed for the report,
Agree on present these papers to the next Water Director meeting.