The problem

Water quality is important because we need clean water to drink and bathe in, and unpolluted water to ensure the safety of our food supply and general good management of the environment. The European Commission’s Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC) is intended to prevent the deterioration of surface water, groundwater, and coastal water, and to ensure sustainable good water status by 2015. Implementation of the Directive will require effective and common quality control systems that can be applied consistently in all the analytical laboratories of the EU.

Overview:

EAQC-WISE will produce a blueprint for an efficient and sustainable quality control system to support the implementation of the Water Framework Directive.

The project will:

• Study existing quality control tools and systems and identify weaknesses and gaps
• Recommend the key features of an optimum quality control system for all of Europe
• Demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed system through a series of case studies and experiments
• Perform an impact assessment of the system and ensure it can be consistently applied across Europe

Contribution to policy development:

• Essential technical support for specific EU policies, especially but not exclusively the Water Framework Directive
• Consistent data collection and analysis methods allowing valid comparison of policy effectiveness across the EU
• Promotion of stronger interactions among researchers and policy-makers
• Reinforced links among water control policy-makers in all EU Member States

Project deliverables

• Report on existing methods of training and education – May 2006
• Reports on existing quality control tools and systems – December 2006
• Recommendations for training courses to implement the water control system – August 2008
• Final recommendations for an EU-wide water quality control system – November 2008

Dissemination

• Project website – from May 2006
• Newsletters – published annually
• Direct contacts with working groups implementing the Water Framework Directive – as scheduled
• On-line distribution of results via the EU’s Water Information System for Europe (WISE) portal and CIRCA website – as results become available
• Publication in scientific journals – from 2008

Technical information

Project acronym: EAQC-WISE
Project’s official full title: European Analytical Quality Control in support of the Water Framework Directive via the Water Information Systems for Europe
CORDIS ref: http://cordis.europa.eu/search/index.cfm?fuseaction=proj.simpledocument&PJ_RCN=8327325&CFID=1493342&CFTOKEN=76895393
Specific webpage: http://www.eaqc-wise.net
Proposal/contract no: 022603
Start date: 01/12/2005
Kick off meeting: December 2005
Completion date: 30/11/2008

Coordinator:
Name: Bureau de Recherche Géologiques et Minières
Abbreviated name: BRGM
Address: Service Métrologie, Monitoring, Analyse, 39-43, Quai André Citroën – Tour Mirabeau, Paris
Country: France
Tel: +33 238643585
Fax: +33 239643711
Website: http://www.brgm.fr

Partners

Name: Joint Research Centre IRMM
Abbreviated name: JRC
Country: European Commission

Name: Institut National de l’Environnement Industriel et des Risques
Abbreviated name: INERIS
Country: France

Name: National Institut of Chemistry
Abbreviated name: NC
Country: Slovenia

Name: Laboratory of the Government Chemist
Abbreviated name: LGC
Country: United Kingdom

Name: WRc – plc Ltd
Abbreviated name: WRc – plc Ltd
Country: United Kingdom

Name: Netherlands Institute for Fisheries Research
Abbreviated name: RIVO
Country: Netherlands

Name: Ecologic – Institute for international and European Environmental Policy
Abbreviated name: Ecologic
Country: Germany

Name: IWW Rheinisch – Westfaelisches Institut fuer Wasserforschung
Abbreviated name: IWW
Country: Germany

Name: Umweltbundesamt, Federal Environmental Agency
Abbreviated name: UBA
Country: Germany

Name: Aquacheck Ltd
Abbreviated name: Aquacheck
Country: United Kingdom

Name: Environmental Institute, s.r.o.
Abbreviated name: EI
Country: Slovakia

Name: Ente per le nuove tecnologie, l’energia e l’ambiente
Abbreviated name: ENEA
Country: Italy

Name: University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences, Vienna
Abbreviated name: IFA-Tulln
Country: Austria

Name: Mermayde
Abbreviated name: Mermayde
Country: Netherlands

Name: SP Swedish National Testing and Research Institute
Abbreviated name: SP
Country: Sweden

Name: Warsaw University
Abbreviated name: UNIWAR
Country: Poland

Name: Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Abbreviated name: VUA
Country: Netherlands