Common Implementation Strategy

European Common Implementation Strategy

A Common Implementation Strategy (CIS) was developed in May 2001 at a European level (including Member States, Norway & the European Commission) support member states address scientific, technical and practical challenges of the WFD.

The framework is described at www.europa.eu.int

The Water Directors agreed that the working priorities for 2003/2004 are:

Working group 2A - Ecological Status

• Guidance on the assessment and intercalibration of ecological status
• Methodological guidance on the intercalibration process
• Guidance on classification schemes for surface water bodies

Working group 2B - Integrated River Basin Management

• Horizontal guidance on wetlands
• Pilot river basin testing
• Integration of economic issues
• Addressing economical methodological aspects.

Working group 2C - Groundwater - this group is relatively new and mandates for new activities are currently being discussed.

Working group 2D - Reporting - the group has taken on the work of the Expert Advisory Forum which no longer exists.

• Guidance for reporting under the WFD
• State of the Environment

The WFD UKTAG team are working on the development of UK guidance for implementation of the directive, building on the work undertaken through the Common Implementation Strategy (CIS). UKTAG coordinators support communication on CIS and UK issues.

Copies of CIS guidance documents are available at http://forum.europa.eu.int