The Water Data Centre provides the European entry point for water related data as part of the Water Information System for Europe (WISE). You can browse the catalogue of European datasets, interactive maps and indicators.
The WISE Water Framework Directive map contains information from the 2nd River Basin Management Plans (RBMPs) reported by EU Members States and Norway according to article 13 of the Water Framework Directive (WFD). The maps include the River Basin Districts (RBDs) and their sub-units, the surface water bodies (water body category, ecological status or potential and chemical status), the groundwater bodies (aquifer type, quantitative status and chemical status) and the monitoring sites.
The EU Bathing Waters Directive requires Member States to identify popular bathing places in fresh and coastal waters and monitor them for indicators of microbiological pollution (and other substances) throughout the bathing season which runs from May to September
Bathing water monitoring by country. Please note: for the scales 1:5.000.001 and less detailed, data are aggregated by country. In such case, stacked bars show percentage of bathing water quality for coastal and inland waters together. Number of bathing waters within certain category is seen in pop up window which can be turned on with a click on one of the countries. For the scale range 1:5 000.000 to 1:700,001, individual bathing water sites (points) are visible instead of classified stacked charts and are coloured according to the classification of bathing water quality. Symbol size depends on the map scale (in more detailed map scales symbols are bigger). For the scales 1:700,000 and more detailed, symbol of bather in a square appears instead of points. Symbol size depends on the map scale.
The trends in chlorophyll concentrations show improvements in the eutrophication status in some of Europe’s seas, due to the successful implementation of nutrient management strategies.
The highest chlorophyll concentrations are generally observed in transitional and coastal waters of the marine (sub)regions, in response to elevated nutrient concentrations in those waters.
Decreasing chlorophyll concentrations were observed in the southwestern Baltic Sea and along the continental coast of the Greater North Sea (including Kattegat), showing the effects of measures to reduce nutrient inputs (OSPAR 2017, HELCOM 2018).
For the other marine (sub)regions, only a few time series were available. In general, those time series did not show significant trends.
Examples of successful implementation of nutrient management strategies can be found in, for example, the Baltic Sea and the North Sea regions, where decreasing trends are observed.
The highest nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations are generally observed in transitional and coastal waters of the marine (sub)regions, which reflects the influence of direct and diffuse inputs of nutrients in the upstream catchments.
In the southwestern Baltic Sea, decreasing nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations were observed between 1990 and 2017. These trends illustrate the effects of reductions in nutrient inputs. Phosphorus concentrations in this period increased in other parts of the Baltic Sea, because of phosphorus release from sediment under anoxic conditions (HELCOM 2018).
In the Greater North Sea, nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations decreased between 1990 and 2017 at a large number of stations in transitional and coastal waters, with the exception of total phosphorous concentrations in parts of the Kattegat. Again, these trends reflect the effect of reductions in nutrient inputs (OSPAR 2017).
In the Celtic Seas, some offshore stations showed decreasing nutrient concentrations between 1990 and 2017.
In the Black Sea, time series of phosphorus concentrations showed significant decreases in the northwest shelf area, while nitrogen concentrations showed a more variable pattern.
Seasonal water exploitation index plus (WEI+), sub river basin district scale in winter (top left), spring (top right), summer (bottom left) and autumn (bottom right) 2015.
The EU Bathing Waters Directive requires Member States to identify popular bathing places in fresh and coastal waters and monitor them for indicators of microbiological pollution (and other substances) throughout the bathing season which runs from May to September
The Water Framework Directive (WFD) reference spatial data sets include information about European river basin districts, river basin district sub-units, surface water bodies, groundwater bodies and monitoring sites used in the first and second River Basin Management Plans (RBMP).
The data sets are part of the Water Information System for Europe (WISE), and compile information reported by the EU Member States, Norway and Iceland to the European Commission (EC) and the European Environment Agency (EEA) since 2010.
Waterbase is the generic name given to the EEA's databases on the status and quality of Europe's rivers, lakes, groundwater bodies and transitional, coastal and marine waters, on the quantity of Europe's water resources, and on the emissions to surface waters from point and diffuse sources of pollution.
The trends in chlorophyll concentrations show improvements in the eutrophication status in some of Europe’s seas, due to the successful implementation of nutrient management strategies.
The highest chlorophyll concentrations are generally observed in transitional and coastal waters of the marine (sub)regions, in response to elevated nutrient concentrations in those waters.
Decreasing chlorophyll concentrations were observed in the southwestern Baltic Sea and along the continental coast of the Greater North Sea (including Kattegat), showing the effects of measures to reduce nutrient inputs (OSPAR 2017, HELCOM 2018).
For the other marine (sub)regions, only a few time series were available. In general, those time series did not show significant trends.
Examples of successful implementation of nutrient management strategies can be found in, for example, the Baltic Sea and the North Sea regions, where decreasing trends are observed.
The highest nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations are generally observed in transitional and coastal waters of the marine (sub)regions, which reflects the influence of direct and diffuse inputs of nutrients in the upstream catchments.
In the southwestern Baltic Sea, decreasing nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations were observed between 1990 and 2017. These trends illustrate the effects of reductions in nutrient inputs. Phosphorus concentrations in this period increased in other parts of the Baltic Sea, because of phosphorus release from sediment under anoxic conditions (HELCOM 2018).
In the Greater North Sea, nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations decreased between 1990 and 2017 at a large number of stations in transitional and coastal waters, with the exception of total phosphorous concentrations in parts of the Kattegat. Again, these trends reflect the effect of reductions in nutrient inputs (OSPAR 2017).
In the Celtic Seas, some offshore stations showed decreasing nutrient concentrations between 1990 and 2017.
In the Black Sea, time series of phosphorus concentrations showed significant decreases in the northwest shelf area, while nitrogen concentrations showed a more variable pattern.
The WISE Water Framework Directive map contains information from the 2nd River Basin Management Plans (RBMPs) reported by EU Members States and Norway according to article 13 of the Water Framework Directive (WFD). The maps include the River Basin Districts (RBDs) and their sub-units, the surface water bodies (water body category, ecological status or potential and chemical status), the groundwater bodies (aquifer type, quantitative status and chemical status) and the monitoring sites.
Bathing water monitoring by country. Please note: for the scales 1:5.000.001 and less detailed, data are aggregated by country. In such case, stacked bars show percentage of bathing water quality for coastal and inland waters together. Number of bathing waters within certain category is seen in pop up window which can be turned on with a click on one of the countries. For the scale range 1:5 000.000 to 1:700,001, individual bathing water sites (points) are visible instead of classified stacked charts and are coloured according to the classification of bathing water quality. Symbol size depends on the map scale (in more detailed map scales symbols are bigger). For the scales 1:700,000 and more detailed, symbol of bather in a square appears instead of points. Symbol size depends on the map scale.
Seasonal water exploitation index plus (WEI+), sub river basin district scale in winter (top left), spring (top right), summer (bottom left) and autumn (bottom right) 2015.
The trends in chlorophyll concentrations show improvements in the eutrophication status in some of Europe’s seas, due to the successful implementation of nutrient management strategies.
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