1. Horizontal Guidance on Wetlands Brussels, 5th May

2. Participants to the discussion
Austria;
Bulgaria;
Czech Republic;
Denmark;
Flanders;
France;
Germany;
Greece;
Hungary;
Ireland;
Italy (Leader)
Lithuania;
Romania,
Slovakia;
Slovenia;
Spain;
UK;
Finland, Netherlands
Commission;
EEB;
WWF;
Evaluwet

3. Objective of the work according to the ToR endorsed in Copenhagen
Elaborate the common understanding on the requirements of the WFD regarding wetlands
Identify the role of wetlands in the WFD and in particular in relation to the programmes of measures
Link these activities with other Common Implementation Strategy (CIS) guidance, by preparing generic text on wetlands for use in existing guidance documents
Address problems and obstacles for the consideration of wetlands in the river basin management and elaborate solutions. Identify and take forward a process for integrating wetlands into the pilot river basin exercise and other future activities of the CIS.

4. Common Text
Wetland ecosystems are ecologically and functionally significant elements of the water environment…... Relevant definitions are developed in CIS horizontal guidance documents on water bodies and are further considered in a guidance on wetlands.
Pressures on wetlands……
The relevance of wetlands within programmes of measures is examined in the horizontal guidance paper on wetlands.

5. Drafting Processes January 2003: Draft 1.0 circulated to WGMs
29th January 2003: First Meeting in Brussels
WGMs sent comments on chapters I,II&ToC
Draft 2.0
Presented to the SGC (21th Feb.)
SGC sent comments on Draft 2.0
Draft 2.1
Sent to the WGMs (13th March)
Some WGMs sent comments

6. Discussion at the SCG (5th May)
Drafting Process (Cont.)
24 March 2003: Second Meeting in Rome: WWGs discussed Vers. 2.1
Draft 3.0
Sent to WWGMs (2nd April)
WWGs sent comments on Draft 3.0
Draft 4.0 (Final)
Stored in CIRCA and sent to WGMs and SCG ( 24th April)
Discussion at the SCG (5th May)

7. 2. IDENTIFYING WETLANDS UNDER THE WATER FRAMEWORK DIRECTIVE
Table of Contents
FOREWORD
1. INTRODUCTION
2. IDENTIFYING WETLANDS UNDER THE WATER FRAMEWORK DIRECTIVE
3. WFD ENVIRONMENTAL OBJECTIVES AND WETLANDS
4. WETLANDS AND THE IMPACTS AND PRESSURES ANALYSIS
5. THE PROGRAMME OF MEASURES AND WETLANDS
6. MONITORING AND WETLANDS

8. IDENTIFYING WETLANDS UNDER THE WATER FRAMEWORK DIRECTIVE
Ecosystems relevant to the achievement of WFD objectives
Ecosystems significantly influencing the quality or quantity of water reaching surface water bodies or surface water connected to surface water bodies
Wetlands
River, lake, transitional water or coastal water body
Terrestrial ecosystems directly dependent on groundwater bodies
Small elements of surface water not identified as water body but connected to surface water body
Riparian, shore or intertidal zone hydromorphological quality elements of surface water bodies

9. IDENTIFYING WETLANDS UNDER THE WATER FRAMEWORK DIRECTIVE
Rivers
Terrestrial ecosystems directly dependent on groundwater for their water needs
Lakes and small
elements of
surface water
Hydromorphological quality elements of surface water bodies
Transitional & coastal waters

10. WFD ENVIRONMENTALOBJECTIVES AND WETLANDS
Summary of the main requirements
Surface waters objectives and wetlands
The relationship between wetland systems and Heavily Modified Water Bodies
Wetlands and Groundwater
Wetlands in relation to transitional and coastal waters
Protected Areas and the Water Framework Directive

11. WETLANDS AND THE IMPACTS AND PRESSURES ANALYSIS
Relevant Objectives in the Impacts and Pressures Analysis
Understanding relevant pressure-impact relationships
Understanding the impact of future pressures
Pressure screening and threshold values

12. THE PROGRAMME OF MEASURE AND WETLANDS
Basic and supplementary measures
Wetlands in the design of measures
Cost Effectiveness
'Significantly Better Environmental Options'
Wetland Creation, Maintenance and Enhancement to Achieve WFD Objectives

13. MONITORING AND WETLANDS
ANNEX II: WETLANDS FUNCTIONS
ANNEX III: RECENT PROJECTS
FINANCED BY THE EUROPEAN UNION

14. Specific comments received on Version 3.0

15. Identifying wetlands under the WFD (Chapter 2);
Further Obligations deriving from Community legislation (Chapter 3.2);
Protected Areas and the Water Framework Directive (Chapter 3.6);
Programme of Measures & Wetlands (Chapter 5);
Cost effectiveness (formerly: Identifying Cost effective Measures) (Chapter 5.3)

16. ‘Habitats’ and ‘Wild Birds’
Ramsar and wetlands
Commission Communication to the Council and the European Parliament on the Wise Use and Conservation of Wetlands (1995)
‘Habitats’ and ‘Wild Birds’
Open issues?
Basic and Supplementary Measures
Monitoring
no strict requirement, IMPRESS,
groundwater and dependent ecosystems