1. WG A ECOSTAT Intercalibration guidance 2008-2011: Annexes III, V, VI

2. Guidance on the IC process 2008-2011
Guidance endorsed by Water Directors in Malmö, December 2009
Basis for the ongoing 2nd round of intercalibration
Three Annexes were left open:
Annex III - reference conditions setting
Annex V - comparability criteria
Annex VI – reporting template for IC results
ECOSTAT was requested to complete these Annexes autumn 2010 for WD endorsement in Segovia

3. Progress Annex III – RC and alternative benchmarks
Draft for ECOSTAT - March 2010
Discussed at ECOSTAT meeting 8-9 April
Written comments by MS
Final version to SCG 26 April 2010
Overview of comments and changes sent to ECOSTAT 26 April

4. “Benchmarking”
is an essential step
in the IC process
to ensure comparability

5. Focus of the Annex III
Purpose of Annex III: provide guidance for selecting benchmarking sites for intercalibration
Annex III is not about giving new guidance to MS for reference conditions setting at national level – we already have two documents for that:
REFCOND guidance
Guidelines to translate the intercalibration results into the national classification systems and to derive reference conditions

6. Annex III – RC and alternative benchmarks
Tiered approach:
true reference sites
partial reference sites (specific for a BQE)
alternative benchmark sites
Based on pressure criteria (indicative table included based on REFCOND)

7. Annex III – True and partial reference sites
Should be selected according to common criteria
Existing guidance (REFCOND, Guidelines)
Text mostly based on Guidelines – clear reference where text is cited
Expert judgment part of the process –Consolidation and implementation of criteria and thresholds
Modelling can be used as a tool

8. Annex III – Alternative benchmarking
Use when no or insufficient real or partial reference sites are available
Preconditions:
Pressure-impact relationship consistent across the data set used
All relevant pressures taken into account
If multiple pressures: combined in meaningful way
Aim: reliable quantification of biological conditons at an agreed level of pressure

9. Alternative benchmarking

10. Annex III Current version takes into account all comments received
No further open issues identified by ECOSTAT
SCG is invited to discuss/endorse the draft

11. Progress Annex V– Comparability criteria
Starting point is conclusions of Art. 21 Committee Jan 2008 following acceptance of the first round IC results
“ there is a need for further work on improving comparability”
Need to combine two approaches:
Boundary harmonisation (used in option 3)
Level of agreement in classification results (used in option 2)
Technical/scientific challenge!

12. Progress Annex V– Comparability criteria
IC steering group prepared draft for ECOSTAT March 2010
Common criteria applicable for all IC options
Discussed at ECOSTAT meeting 8-9 April
MS comments
Difficult to understand
Doubts about some technical aspects (e.g. ‘kappa’ criterion for comparability
Unclear how it will work out in practice
May not be applicable to all IC data sets
Need for more flexibility?

13. Annex V– Conclusions ECOSTAT
Draft not ready to be forwarded to SCG
Needs to be tested using real IC datasets
Alternative approaches need to be considered (proposal from NL)
GIGs are encouraged to test the approach on their data sets and give feedback on results/problems (including suggestions for improvement
Final draft needed at next ECOSTAT
Further delay not acceptable – need agreed criteria to complete the IC in time

14. Annex V– Plan for testing and finalisation
IC steering group will lead/drive the process
Testing ongoing, to be finalised by 15 August
Draft criteria as presented by ECOSTAT
Alternative approach proposed by NL
Also include ‘data poor’ BQE’s
Drafting of new text by ‘ad hoc’ drafting group involving MS and GIG leads
Detailed plan will be finalised early May

15. Annex V
SCG is invited to take note of the progress on Annex V (comparability criteria), and the planned way forward for finalising the Annex in the autumn of 2010

16. Progress Annex VI– Reporting templates
Draft for ECOSTAT - March 2010
Discussed at ECOSTAT meeting 8-9 April
No open issues identified

17. Annex VI– Reporting templates

18. SCG is invited to….
Discuss the Annexes III (Guidance for setting reference conditions and alternative benchmarks) and VI (Contents of milestone reports)
Endorse these drafts to be forwarded to the Water Directors with the proposal for agreement at their meeting in Segovia (27-28 May 2010)
Take note of the progress on Annex V (comparability criteria), and the planned way forward for finalising the Annex in the autumn of 2010