Intercalibrating the national classifications of ecological status for very large rivers in Europe: Biological Quality Element: Phytoplankton

The European Water Framework Directive (WFD) requires the national classifications of good ecological status to be harmonised through an intercalibration exercise. In this exercise, significant differences in status classification among Member States are harmonized by comparing and, if necessary, adjusting the good status boundaries of the national assessment methods. Intercalibration is performed for rivers, lakes, coastal and transitional waters, focusing on selected types of water bodies (intercalibration types), anthropogenic pressures and Biological Quality Elements. Intercalibration exercises were carried out in Geographical Intercalibration Groups - larger geographical units including Member States with similar water body types - and followed the procedure described in the WFD Common Implementation Strategy Guidance document on the intercalibration process (European Commission, 2011). The Technical reports are organized in volumes according to the water category (rivers, lakes, coastal and transitional waters), Biological Quality Element and Geographical Intercalibration group. This volume addresses the intercalibration of the Very large river Phytoplankton ecological assessment methods. Thirteen countries (Austria, Belgium (Flanders), Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Germany, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia) participated in the intercalibration exercise and harmonised their benthic invertebrate assessment systems. The results were approved by the WG ECOSTAT and included in the EC Decision on intercalibration (European Commission, 2018). In addition, four countries (Italy, Finland, Norway, Sweden) provided justification for excluding Phytoplankton BQE assessment system.JRC.D.2-Water and Marine Resource