1. EU Water Framework Directive
Review of SCG
rules of procedure
SCG meeting
Brussels, May 2006
Jorge Rodriguez Romero
European Commission, DG Environment
Unit D.2 – Water and Marine, WFD Team

2. Contents
Redistribution of roles between SCG and WD
Involvement of stakeholders in the CIS process

3. Role of SCG/WD: background
Suggestion from Water Directors seminar in Luxembourg:
“to discuss and re-distribute the roles between SCG and Water Directors with the aim of reducing administrative business at the Water Directors meetings and allowing more time for strategy and policy discussions”

4. Proposals role of SCG/WD
SCG decides by consensus whether a finalised deliverable should be included at WD meeting in:
Batch endorsement agenda point (no presentation, no discussion)
Specific agenda point for discussion
Any delegation can request to include a point in 1
CIS Progress Report would be included in 1
Annex to the minutes of the SCG will reflect the Group’s opinion on which documents are to be included in 1 and which ones in 2

5. Stakeholder participation: background
The number of new applications has raised as CIS process addresses new topics, and this trend will continue
Future conversion of EAF on Priority Substances and EAF on Floods to Working Groups will probably bring new organisations
Current criteria and organisation is not able to cope with this increased participation
Calendar:
SCG October 2005: First exchange of views among Member States
SCG February 2006: discussion document
Written comments received

6. Stakeholder participation: suggestions
Stakeholders organise themselves to limit and balance the attendance to SCG meetings among different interests
Thematic clusters
Limited number of seats in meetings
Unlimited number of recognised stakeholders
Two levels of participation
Level 1: meet fully the admission criteria (all current SCG members)
Participate in SCG, full access to CIRCA…
Level 2: meet partially the admission criteria
No participation in SCG but can contribute through their cluster or DG ENV
Full access to CIRCA
They will be in copy in all communications to SCG (except invitation)
Participation in WG as to date (technical interest groups)

7. Stakeholder participation: Clusters and number of seats
Type of organisation
Cluster (maximum number of seats)
Description of organisations intended to form part of each cluster (not exhaustive)
STAKEHOLDERS (total 15 seats)
Agriculture (3)
Farmers, irrigators, aquaculture.
Energy (3)
Electricity utilities, hydropower.
Industry (3)
Manufacture, chemical industry.
Navigation (3)
Ports, navigation, recreation
Water supply and waste water (3)
Water utilities
NGO
(total 10 seats)
Environment (6)
Environmental NGO
Consumers (2)
Consumer protection
Others (2)
Other NGO defending other legitimate uses of water
IGO
River Basin management (5)
River conventions, river basin authorities' organisations.
Local/regional administrations (3)
Municipalities, regional governments.
Activities linked with the hydrological cycle or with water management

8. Way forward Endorsement in WD meeting Salzburg 1-2 June
Introduce the new rules for the SCG meetings in October/November and the WD meeting in Finland
Formation of clusters after Salzburg meeting