EIONET Priority Data Flows: 
EUROWATERNET annual data flow 2003

Monday 11 August 2003
 

Dear National Focal Point,

We are writing to inform you of our plans for the EUROWATERNET annual data flow update that is, as you know, one of the agreed EIONET Priority Data Flows.
 

1. This is the third formal EUROWATERNET annual data flow. It will run from 12 September 2003 to 19 December 2003 for river, lake and groundwater data and 31 October 2003 to 30 January 2004 for transitional, coastal and marine water data. Technical guidance will be provided on the content and format of the data required, including templates and details of the methods of data exchange (national EIONET server or Central Data Repository).
2. All data previously supplied can be accessed for validation purposes via Reference WATERBASE located on the EEA Data Service’s public website at:

http://dataservice.eea.eu.int/dataservice/available2.asp?type=findtheme&theme=water
3. The EIONET Water Interest Group on CIRCLE will be used to facilitate document sharing, data flows and communications between the ETC and NFPs/NRCs: http://eea.eionet.eu.int:8980/Public/irc/eionet-circle/water/library?l=/eurowaternet/eurowaternet_2003&vm=detailed&sb=Title
4. The data sets to be collected through this exercise will be selected on the basis of their relevance to the core set of indicators for water and to the objectives and assessment needs of the Water Framework Directive, the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive, the Nitrates Directive, the Dangerous Substances Directive and the Drinking Water Directive. The latter are the major pieces of legislation that will drive EU water policy over the next 15-20 years. The second round of the consultation process for the overall EEA core set of indicators is still under way. However, as with last year’s data flow, we will focus on those parameters for which we believe data will be needed whatever the final outcome of the consultation process. For example, we still expect that data on nitrate in rivers, phosphorus in lakes and pesticides in groundwaters will to continue to be needed even though the indicator descriptions may change during the consultation process.
5. The data sets to be collected under the 2003 data flow will cover the state (quality, concentrations), pressures (emissions) and water quantity of rivers, lakes, groundwaters and transitional, coastal and marine waters relating to both the EUROWATERNET Basic and Impact networks. Quality determinands include nutrients (nitrate and supportive determinands for groundwaters) and organic pollution indicators (Basic network) and hazardous and dangerous substances (Impact network).
6. We would also like to request data on biological quality elements (biological community structure) on a voluntary basis in preparation for developing biological indicators in line with the requirements of the Water Framework Directive.
7. We hope that this letter will be useful for you when organising a programme of work with your NRCs in order to deliver the required data flows by the deadlines of:


19 December 2003: rivers, lakes and groundwaters
30 January 2004: transitional, coastal and marine waters

Yours faithfully

Niels Thyssen
Project Manager: Inland Waters