Highlight September 2008
Chemical Monitoring for the Water Framework Directive
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The Joint Research Centre, thanks to the support of the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River and the Hungarian Ministry of Environment and Water, organises the Second Technical On-Site Workshop on Chemical Monitoring for the Water Framework Directive (WFD). The event, scheduled for the 17th and 18th of September 2008, will be held in Budapest, Hungary. In this context, the IES’ Rural, Water and Ecosystem Resources (RWER) Unit is co-chairing the drafting of the guidance for chemical monitoring: This is essential for monitoring the harmonisation of water bodies in the EU Member |
States. It represents support to the implementation of the Directive on Environmental Quality Standards in the Field of Water Policy.
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In particular, the IES RWER Unit's Action ATEAM (Aquatic and Terrestrial Ecosystem Assessment and Monitoring - called then MAPLE) is organising this second workshop for comparison of monitoring approaches to selected priority pollutants in surface water, within the WFD chemical monitoring framework. Specific compounds from the WFD priority substance list have been selected for this practical exercise, in which individual European laboratories apply their scientific know-how, technical competence and approach in monitoring of Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) e.g., Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (e.g. PBDE) and Alkylphenols. While during the first exercise, organised in October 2006, the approach has been tested, this second exercise will now be addressed to laboratories that are directly or indirectly involved in compliance checking monitoring. Following a first call on February 2008 and a further announcement in May, laboratories from 10 European Countries have registered for participation. |
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The mid-September workshop will start at the Hungarian Ministry for Environment with presentations and discussions; while the sampling exercise will take place on the second day at a selected site on the Danube River. The participating laboratories will be invited to take and analyse samples according to their protocols. The comparison of results will allow to draw conclusions for the further implementation of the Directive and help to identify further need for harmonisation.
