1. Water Science-Policy Interface (CIS-SPI) Progress report
EUROPEAN COMMISSION
RESEARCH DIRECTORATE-GENERAL
Directorate I – Environment
Water Science-Policy Interface (CIS-SPI) Progress report
Strategic Coordination Group - 11 November 2010
M.P. DUROT (FRANCE)
M. SCHOUPPE (COM- DG RTD)

2. Progress report in 2010
Task 1 Inventory of research and implementation needs from CIS groups
Task 2 Available research and research gaps
Task 3 Improving transfer and usability of research outputs
Inventory of the needs for each CIS WG (based on a questionnaire sent to all WG, EG and AH)
Discussion of research needs at the 1st SPI event (based on the list of needs provided by CIS groups and activities)
Discussion of research gaps at the 1st SPI event: crossing research needs expressed by CIS groups (if available) with available research outputs known by participating experts
Proposals by CIS participants to enhance research results dissemination (in the questionnaire and in the SPI event roundtables)
Analysis of a science- policy briefs from FP projects with regard to their relevance and potential for an effective transfer and uptake by end-users

3. Methodology in 2010 CIS Working Groups CIS - SPI ad hoc Activity
FP6 – FP7 Project Consortia
Survey of research needs
Questionnaires
Intreviews
Papers
Survey of policy relevant input
Reports
Newsletters
Policy briefs
Input for Round Tables
First event « Water Science meets Policy »
Participation
Participation
Connecting scientists and WFD end-users Research needs & gaps Improved SPI & dissemination
Reporting to SCG and Water Directors

4. First event « Water Science meets Policy »
Jointly organised by DG RTD and ONEMA, Brussels, 30/09/2010
150 participants from 15 MS and Switzerland
Including from NGOs, stakeholder groups, DG RTD, DG ENV, DG JRC
35% from the scientific community, 65% from WFD “end-users” (policy makers & implementers)
Nine interactive parallel round tables, plus two plenary sessions
Round Tables
Themes
CIS contributions
Number of research areas
Number of research topics 1
Ecological status
 no 4 16 2
Groundwater
yes 6 26 3
Chemical Aspects
 yes 9 22
Extreme Events
5 (floods)
7 (droughts)
47 (floods)
26 (droughts) 5
Agriculture 12
Socio-economics no 7
Integrated River Basin Management Plan 8
Hydromorphology 17
SPI Dissemination

5. First event « Water Science meets Policy »
Cross-cutting issues expressed in several roundtables:
Development of complementary and more integrated indicators for water quality
Improvement of WFD water quality monitoring programmes 
Research on pressures-impacts relationships – need for a more holistic approach
Development of an ecosystem services approach in water management
Adaptation to climate change (primary and secondary effects) and more generally to other pressures from global changes
RBMPs-POMs: articulation between different spatial and temporal scales between research, monitoring and management 
Scientific investigation of consensus building process in the case of WFD implementation 
The development of a culture of uncertainty, how to measure, reduce and deal with uncertainties?
Reports and presentations available through the WFD CIRCA web site (under “workshops and conferences”)

6. SPI activities planned 2011
Task 1 Inventory of research and implementation needs from CIS groups
Task 2 Available research and research gaps
Task 3 Improving transfer and usability of research outputs
On the basis of the SPI event outcomes
List of research needs/gaps
Preliminary list (report of the SPI event) communicated to the funding organisations : FP, ERA-NET, JPI (ASAP)
A synthesis with the list of priority research topics is established (early 2011)
Validation of research gaps
Review of most recent results in priority areas by the new FP7 project WATERDISS 2.0 (early 2011)
Discussion of research gaps within each CIS Working Group or Activity within or back to back with regular meetings of the WGs, with support from CIS-SPI
Science-Policy Briefs (compiled on CIRCA and disseminated to CIS groups/activities)
2nd SPI event in Autumn 2011

7. 2nd Water Science meets Policy event in 2011
CIS-SPI mandate: 3 SPI events until 2012
2nd SPI event in autumn 2011
Overarching theme = “Ecosystems services approach –including social-economical and political dimensions- in support of river basin management”
Next steps:
Establishment of a steering committee ( 10 December 2010)
Workshop concept presented to the SCG (March 2011)
Preliminary programme presented to the SCG (May 2011)

8. Invitation for the nomination of SPI correspondent in CIS WG, EG and AH
to act as the main counterpart for the research community in order to facilitate the integration of research and development issues in the group’s activities
Ensure the link with relevant research projects
Provide to the group a better overview of existing knowledge and most recent research results
Identify key scientists in the field of the group
Disseminate key deliverables and relevant policy briefs to the group
2) to act as the main counterpart for the SPI AH activities planned in 2011
participate in the steering of the work of the SPI FP-funded (e.g. WATERDISS 2.0) projects which will review the most recent research results in priority areas
organize with the support of the AH SPI, a dedicated SPI session in/back to back with the CIS group meeting,
participate –on a voluntary basis- in the preparation of the 2nd (and third) science meets policy event

9. The SCG is invited to:
take note of state of play of the current activities.
take note of the main conclusions drawn in the report of the first water meets policy event held in Brussels on 30 September 2010 and authorize its diffusion to Water Directors
take note of the nomination of SPI correspondents for all CIS WG, EG, AH (deadline 10 December 2010)
express their interest in participating in the steering committee for the preparations of the 2nd water meets policy event scheduled in autumn 2011 (deadline 10 December 2010)