Indicator Specification

Ecological status of surface waters in Europe

Indicator Specification

Indicator codes: WAT 008

Published 31 Aug 2021 Last modified 31 Aug 2021

1 min read

Topics: Water and marine environment

Countries report data on the ecological status of their water bodies to the European Commission and these data are stored in the WFD database. Much work has been done in relation to implementing the WFD and producing RBMPs. The ecological status of water bodies is based on comprehensive work carried out in the RBDs and is by far the best estimate of the status of surface waters. The ecological status is comparable between countries and RBDs to a certain extent; however, the interpretation of differences in status should take into account differences in the use of quality elements in determining overall status. Overall, the second RBMPs (published after December 2015) show limited change in status since the first RBMPs were published in 2009, with the same status being reported for most water bodies in both cycles (EEA, 2018b). The proportion of water bodies with unknown status has decreased, however, and confidence in status assessments has grown. Improvements are visible at the level of individual quality elements or pollutants, but often do not translate into improved overall status.

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Assessment versions

Published (reviewed and quality assured)

31 Aug 2021, 03:25 PM
- Ecological status of surface waters in Europe

Rationale

Justification for indicator selection

No rationale has been identified for this indicator

Scientific references

No rationale references available

Indicator definition

Countries report data on the ecological status of their water bodies to the European Commission and these data are stored in the WFD database.

Much work has been done in relation to implementing the WFD and producing RBMPs. The ecological status of water bodies is based on comprehensive work carried out in the RBDs and is by far the best estimate of the status of surface waters.

The ecological status is comparable between countries and RBDs to a certain extent; however, the interpretation of differences in status should take into account differences in the use of quality elements in determining overall status.

Overall, the second RBMPs (published after December 2015) show limited change in status since the first RBMPs were published in 2009, with the same status being reported for most water bodies in both cycles (EEA, 2018b). The proportion of water bodies with unknown status has decreased, however, and confidence in status assessments has grown. Improvements are visible at the level of individual quality elements or pollutants, but often do not translate into improved overall status.

Units

Proportion of water bodies with high or good ecological status.

Policy context and targets

Context description

The WFD (EU, 2000) stipulates that EU Member States should aim to achieve good status for all bodies of surface water and groundwater. Ecological status is used here as a proxy for the overall status of water bodies.

Ecological status and potential are criteria used to assess the quality of the structure and functioning of surface water ecosystems. A surface water body with good ecological status shows low levels of distortion resulting from human activity. Ecological status is influenced by water quality (e.g. levels of pollution of all types) as well as habitat degradation.

Targets

No targets have been specified

Key policy question

Ecological status of surface waters in Europe, aggregated assessment level

Specific policy question

Ecological status of surface waters in Europe, disaggregated assessment level

Methodology

Methodology for indicator calculation

Ecological status is an assessment of the quality of the structure and functioning of surface water ecosystems. It shows the influence of pressures (e.g. pollution and habitat degradation) on the identified quality elements. Ecological status is determined for each of the surface water bodies of rivers, lakes, transitional waters and coastal waters, based on biological quality elements and supported by physico‑chemical and hydromorphological quality elements. The overall ecological status classification for a water body is determined, according to the ‘one out, all out’ principle, by the element with the worst status of all the biological and supporting quality elements (EEA, 2018b).

References

EC, 2011, Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions ‘Our life insurance, our natural capital: an EU biodiversity strategy to 2020’ (COM(2011) 244 final).

EEA, 2018a,Environmental indicator report 2018 — in support to the monitoring of the Seventh Environment Action Programme, EEA Report No 19/2018, European Environment Agency (https://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/environmental-indicator-report-2018) accessed 15 August 2019.

EEA, 2018b,European waters — assessment of status and pressures 2018, EEA Report No 7/2018, European Environment Agency (https://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/state-of-water) accessed 6 December 2018.

EEA, 2019,The European environment — state and outlook 2020: knowledge for transition to a sustainable Europe, European Environment Agency (https://www.eea.europa.eu/soer-2020) accessed 9 December 2019.

EEA, 2020, ‘WISE Water Framework Directive database’, European Environment Agency (https://www.eea.europa.eu/data-and-maps/data/wise-wfd-4) accessed 21 April 2021.

Policy references

EU, 2000, Directive 2000/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2000 establishing a framework for community action in the field of water policy (OJ L 327, 22.12.2000, p. 1-73).

EU, 2013, Decision No 1386/2013/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 November 2013 on a general Union environment action programme to 2020 ‘Living well, within the limits of our planet’ (OJ L 354, 28.12.2013, p. 171-200).