Open Call

Background

Aim & Focus

Programme

Venue

Results

Recent changes at the European level, such as the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy and the implementation of the WFD, strongly challenge water management. Demands on the ecological quality of water bodies are increasing. Water authorities are faced with the task of improving integration not only of related policy fields like spatial planning or agricultural management (cross-compliance), but also of non-governmental stakeholders.

The requirement to, "encourage active involvement of all interested parties in the implementation of the WFD" (Art.14) is new. Information provision, the use of local information and data, the interactive development of options and improved transparency are all part of the implementation process. Moreover, the requested sustainable long term perspective may conflict with the shorter term perspective of elected politicians and other stakeholders who have to justify their decisions in an economically tense situation. Tools may help to meet these challenges on decision making.

In 2006, the most pressing WFD-tasks will be; the design of monitoring programmes, the launch of the written consultation processes and the continuous involvement of the interested parties during the preparation of the river basin management plans. The 3rd Harmoni-CA Forum & Conference will focus on tools linked to those specific tasks. Water managers will find support for their work through presentations of state of the art tools and their applications in integrated river basin management (IRBM). Developers will receive feedback from the comments and presentations of experienced water managers on how to improve their tools to make them more useful for the implementation process.

In 2004, the first Harmoni-CA conference aimed to set the first steps in bridging the gap between ther research and technology world and the people involved in the implementatation of the Water Framework Directive. During the extensive discussions, it became very clear the the gap is even larger than expected. But also, during the conference the gap was bridged in the sense that the implementation world by means of representatives of DG-Environment offered their support and made suggestions for real actions. In the year after the conference, the co-operation was further established and supported by DG-research. The second Harmoni-CA conference in 2005 aimed to respond to the research needs presented at its beginning, that came from the national reports delivered for the WFD by the end of 2004. At the conference clear were presented examples of support that research and technology may give to the WFD implementation. In 2005, the proces of connecting support and needs proceeded. The third conference will again be focussed on linking the knowledge and the implementation needs.

The conference is prepared as a co-operation of Harmoni-CA/WP1 and Harmoni-CA/WP5.

Members of the Scientific Committee are Anker Lajer Hojberg (GEUS, Denmark), Frans van Geer (TNO-NITG, The Netherlands), Erik Mostert (TU Delft, TheNetherlands), Ulla Necker (Staatliches Umweltamt Düsseldorf, Germany), Jean-Pierre Le Bourhis (LATTS-CNRS, France), Ilke Borowski (University of Osnabrueck, Harmoni-CA/WP5) and Wim de Lange (RIZA, The Netherlands, Harmoni-CA/WP1)