1. River Intercalibration Phase 2: Milestone 4 reports Presented by Wouter van de Bund Joint Research Centre Institute for Environment and Sustainability

2. MacrophytesPhytobenthos Macro- invertebrates FishLarge rivers Cross GIG M3 report M4 report Meeting Minutes Alpine GIG n.a.M3 report C-B GIG M3 report[cross-GIG]M4 report Med GIG M4 report Eastern Continental GIG M3 reportM4 report Northern GIG [cross-GIG]M4 report Rivers - milestone 4 reports

3. Responsibilities/Participation Overview of national methods - Compliance checking (covered day 1) Feasibility check Collection of IC data set Reference Conditions (covered day 1) IC procedure and Common metrics Boundary setting, comparison and harmonisation Milestone 4 reports - overview

4. MacrophytesPhytobenthos Macro- invertebrates FishLarge rivers Cross GIG 15 MS 23 MS (- BG, HU) 14 MS (- FR) Alpine GIG n.a. Update round 1 not needed 6 MS C-B GIG 16 MS (+2)[cross-GIG] 3 MS with new/updated methods Med GIG 7 MS 6 MS GR missing 6 MS GR missing Eastern Continental GIG 3 MS + HR (- RO) 7 MS + HR Northern GIG [cross-GIG] 5 MS - no new/updated methods Participation

5. No big problems with participation Participation

6. Macrophytes Phytobentho s Macro- invertebrates FishLarge rivers Cross GIG 15 MS (CB, NO GIGs) 15 methods 12 (invert) 12 (phytobenthos) Alpine GIG 6 (round 1) C-B GIG 10 methods[cross-GIG] 18 (round 1) 3 (new/upd.) Med GIG 7 methods 6 methods (except GR) 7 methods Eastern Continental GIG 3 methods - RO, CZ missing 7 methods8 methods Northern GIG [cross-GIG]5 (round 1) National Methods

7. Sufficient methods to finalize intercalibration for all BQEs Improvement compared with milestone 3 report when a high proportion of methods was still ‘in development’; in EC GIG macrophytese this is still a problem Large river group needs to clarify which methods will be intercalibrated National methods

8. Typology issues now resolved - not an obstacle for intercalibration Feasibility check - typology

9. Mostly completed and not considered a problem for intercalibration Strong focus on pressure by nutrients/organic matter and ‘general pressure’, not much on hydromorphological pressures Large rivers - focus on phytobenthos, invertebrates; methods do not focus on hydromorphological pressures Feasibility check - pressures

10. Analysis completed in most GIGs - no big problems Macrophytes CB GIG: Dutch and Flemish methods focus on growth forms, others do not --> obstacle for intercalibration Large rivers: invertebrates: species data in most MS, family data in ES --> obstacle for intercalibration Feasibility check - Assessment concept

11. Macrophytes Phytobentho s Macro- invertebrates FishLarge rivers Cross GIG 3162 samples from 12 MS 4559 sites from 24 MS Invertebrates: 443 + ? samples Diatoms: 169 + ? samples Alpine GIG C-B GIG 1868 samples [cross-GIG] Use round 1 data Med GIG 481 samples 1200 samples from 6 MS 1330 samples Eastern Continental GIG 149 samples 1404 samples from 7 MS 1712 samples from 7 MS Northern GIG [cross-GIG] Collection of IC data sets

12. Data collection progress generally good Large rivers: no pressure gradient within, only between countries Large rivers: Additional MS have contributed data - now probably sufficient data to carry out the IC Collection of IC data set

13. Already presented on first day Reference conditions/Alternative Benchmarking

14. MacrophytesPhytobenthos Macro- invertebrates FishLarge rivers Cross GIG Option 2 Different options in different regional groups Option 2 / Option 3 / Options 2 and 3 combined Phytobenthos : Option 2 Invertebrates: Option 2 (needs to be modified) Alpine GIG Option 2 C-B GIG Option 3[cross-GIG]Option 2 Med GIG to be decided (option 1 or 3a) Option 2 Eastern Continental GIG Option 3 (?)Option 2 Northern GIG [cross-GIG]Option 2 Intercalibration Options

15. River Phytobenthos/Invertebrate groups need to use Option 2 (differences in sampling/processing) Macrophytes: option 3 with common metrics possible (as recommended in Guidance) Fish: option 2 and option 3 applied, depending on the regional group Large Rivers: decision has been taken to use option 2 for phytobenthos; for benthic fauna no decision yet Intercalibration options

16. Macrophytes Phytobentho s Macro- invertebrates FishLarge rivers Cross GIG OK Multimetric index derived from EFI+ is applied wherever possible Ongoing Alpine GIG C-B GIG in progress[cross-GIG] Med GIG Option 1 or 3a OK OK - same as in round 1 Eastern Continental GIG in progressOK existing mICM tested Northern GIG [cross-GIG] Intercalibration Common Metrics

17. Fish, Phytobenthos - common metric development successfully completed Macroinvertebrates - common metrics developed in Phase 1, are further tested and refined in and EC GIG Macrophytes - work on real common metrics ongoing; can use pseudo-common metrics in any case Intercalibration Common Metrics

18. Macrophytes Phytobentho s Macro- invertebrates FishLarge rivers Cross GIG National Alpine GIG National C-B GIG National[cross-GIG]National Med GIG National Eastern Continental GIG National Northern GIG [cross-GIG]National Description of boundary setting

19. Boundary setting at national level, not at GIG level Statistical rather than ecological boundary setting in most cases: HG as percentile of reference sites, other boundaries by equal devision For final report a summary/analysis of the national approaches is needed Description of boundary setting

20. Macrophytes Phytobentho s Macro- invertebrates FishLarge rivers Cross GIG tested, not yet reported Almost completed not yet Alpine GIG Round 1 C-B GIG tested, not yet reported [cross-GIG]Round 1 Med GIG not yet Eastern Continental GIG tested, not yet reported not yet Northern GIG [cross-GIG]Round 1 APPLICATION Annex V COMPARABILITY CRITERIA

21. Application comparability criteria Comparability criteria only fully applied in the fish IC group Old invertebrate results have been checked against the new criteria - no problems --> this needs to be reported! Macrophytes, phytobenthos: no results yet -- need to speed up!

22. Expected Results amd requests for extension (reported to WD December 2010) MacrophytesPhytobenthos Macro- invertebrates Fish Alpine GIG n.a. C-B GIG [cross-GIG] Med GIG Extension requested Eastern Continental GIG Extension requested Northern GIG [cross-GIG]

23. Additional request for extension for EC phytobenthos MacrophytesPhytobenthos Macro- invertebrates Fish Alpine GIG n.a. C-B GIG [cross-GIG] Med GIG Extension requested Eastern Continental GIG Extension requested Extension requested as well Northern GIG [cross-GIG]

24. Expected Results - Large Rivers (reported to WD December 2010 Large Rivers Phytobenthos Macroinvertebrates Extension requested Macrophytes Fish Phytoplankton

25. River intercalibration - Summary Work on track for fish IC Other BQEs need to speed up applying the comparability criteria, especially those due to finish June 2011 6-month extension granted for MED GIG (3 BQEs), large rivers invertebrates, EC GIG macrophytes additional extension requested for EC GIG, phytobenthos (justification provided, need to implement alternative benchmarking)