Page 23 - Freshwater-Biology-and-Ecology-Handbook

The Freshwater Biological Association’s River the Institute de L’eau France organised a European “Study
Communities Project (1977) developed the underlying and Reflection Seminar” to discuss “The Ecological Quality
BMWP scoring system into a predictive tool known as of Surface Water” in preparation of a Community Directive,
the River Invertebrate Prediction and Classification held in May 1989 and published later that year by Barisich
System (RIVPACS) This is based on a statistical model and Fried (1989). The Seminar was held at the Villa Olmo in
that estimates the ecological health of river sites. It utilises Como hosted by the Centro di Cultura Scientifica Alessandro
reference datasets of macroinvertebrates in ‘unpolluted’ Volta. Centro Volta is a non-profit organization, created since
conditions and can predict which macroinvertebrates 1983 and aims to provide scientists all over the world with a
should be expected in similar sites. The difference distinctive environment for fostering scientific communication,
between the expected fauna and the observed fauna interaction and debate.
indicates the ecological status of the water. This is an
invaluable tool for water managers to target protection
and improvement activity. This, and similar approaches, The overall conclusion was that ‘a Directive governing
allowed the development and implementation of the WFD the ecological quality of waters should aim to fix high
and is used for determining the status of all types of surface standards for Community waters’.
waters across Europe based on their biota. RIVPACS is still
regarded as an example of good practice internationally
and more information is given in Chapter 3. The recommended structure of the Directive resulting
from the Seminar was quite remarkable in that it provided a
Bringing biological and ecological assessment methods framework for assessing ecological quality, setting targets,
such as RIVPACS into mainstream water management presenting the results, planning for future improvements
across Europe has been a key breakthrough. The and reporting on progress. The way this was set out in the
importance of dialogue and the international political conclusions and recommendations of the Seminar formed the
processes, facilitated by the EU, should not be basis for the WFD and the overall structure changed very little
underestimated, and biologists and research communities during its evolution from an ecologically-based Directive to the
neglect this at their peril! far more holistic approach in the WFD.
Alastair Ferguson reviewed the evolution of the WFD from In this way, the bringing together of technical expertise,
the perspective of a biologist and environmental policymaker within a political and regulatory framework, is essential. It
engaged in the development of the WFD. In a personal needs to be done at the correct time, in the correct way and
communication he noted that: when there is an established social and environmental need
to make progress in water protection and improvement.
The early development of the WFD can be traced back to the It took significant effort over many years to ensure this
conclusions of the EU Community Water Policy Ministerial alignment. These forces came together in 2000 when the
Seminar in Frankfurt in 1988, which highlighted the need WFD was adopted by the European Parliament and the
for Community legislation covering ecological quality of the Council of Ministers.
aquatic environment. The Council in its resolution of 28 June
1988 asked the European Commission to submit proposals
to improve ecological quality in Community surface waters.
As a result, Alessandre Barisich of DGXI and Jean J Fried of

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