16.3 Conclusions
Implementation of the WFD requires a setting of operational definitions for
`high', `good', and `moderate' ecological status classes in order to
establish practical targets for the environmental objectives of the
directive. Classification of water bodies into ecological status classes
requires establishment of reference conditions and identification of
boundaries between `high-good' and `good-moderate' quality classes. The
boundary between good and moderate status will be especially important
because it will set the targets for restoration and improvement plans of
water bodies which are in risk to fail the environmental objectives.
Biological monitoring data will be needed in order to have a sound basis for
the establishment of the class boundaries, since the classification of the
ecological quality should not only be based on the hydromorphological and
physico-chemical conditions, but also on the biological status of the water
bodies. The implementation timetable of the WFD does not completely match
with the order of steps that are needed to fulfill classification
requirements. This requires Member States to take a pragmatic approach to
the classification task, and to start to evaluate the ecological status of
their water bodies based on pressure criteria and available biological data
although the current monitoring networks of the most Member States are not
WFD compliant. The required harmonization (i.e. intercalibration exercise)
of the ecological quality classification scales in 2005 and 2006 will be
probably difficult because of the heterogeneity of national assessment
systems and scarcity of biological data available. However, WFD requires
only one intercalibration exercise with the aim to fix the relevant class
boundaries for management purposes. Hopefully, a new intercalibration and a
revision of the ecological status class boundaries could be possible also
after 2006, when new biological data will become available from the
restructured monitoring systems, compliant with the WFD requirements.
