The 1st meeting of the water monitoring working group of the Mediterranean Joint Process between the EUWI and the WFD

This meeting will take place the 3rd of July from 17:30 till 19:30 in Madrid, taking the opportunity of the experts workshop on the feasibility study related to the development of a Mediterranean water observatory mechanism (3-4 July 2007, see http://www.semide.net/medwip/about/fol668721).

The objective of this short meeting is to define the scope, mandate and work plan of this working group on water monitoring. It will be attended by institutional representatives from Med non EU countries (Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan and Palestine). The presentation of the WFD water monitoring concepts and activities is particularly important to let the Med Partner Countries identify the topics on which they want to work and exchange experiences.

Water Monitoring Working Group:
 

In 2005 EMWIS conducted a survey on the value of some concepts of the European Union (EU) Water Framework Directive (WFD) for Mediterranean partner countries (MPC). Water Directors as well as basin organisations were surveyed. The two first concepts of interest are the characterization of basins and the monitoring activities. This underlines strong willingness and needs in terms of acquiring a better knowledge on river basins within MPC.  That preliminary step is crucial before ongoing the works of planning. Generally, this survey shows a lack of awareness on WFD by MPC, but also a strong interest on the follow up of its implementation in EU Member States. 

At the last Euro-Med Water Directors meeting held in Athens in November 2006, countries expressed an interest to launch a working group on ‘Water Monitoring’ in the framework of the JP phase II. EMWIS has the leadership of this working group. A working group meeting is planned in early July 2007 in Madrid in relation with the experts' workshop on the feasibility study for the Mediterranean Water Observatory Mechanism (3-4 July). During that meeting, the working group mandate, work plan and its membership will be reviewed.

For further details please contact Eric Mino on e.mino@semide.org

Webpage of the working group: http://www.semide.net/topics/watmon