The role of EuroGeoSurveys

in groundwater policies in Europe

Maciej Kłonowski

m.klonowski@eurogeosurveys.org

www.eurogeosurveys.eu

5th World Water Forum

21.03.2009, Istanbul

Outline

What is EuroGeoSurveys?

Members and Partners of EuroGeoSurveys

Our Working Group on Water Resources

Involvement in EU water policy making

Selected projects

Legal status

The real strength of our Association are the Members and Partners contributing with their knowledge, capabilities, capacities, experience and finances

EuroGeoSurveys is the Association of the Geological Surveys of Europe

Our Association is legally registered in France and under French law, however the office is located in Brussels: Rue Joseph II 36-38

Office staff is: Secretary General, Assistant and Secretary

MembershipAt present our member organizations are the national geological surveys of:

EU Member States: 26

EU candidate countries: 1

EFTA countries: 3

Other European countries: 3

Members: 30

Partners: 3

Non-EGS

Membership

Statutory objectives

To jointly address European issues of common interest

To assist the European Union to obtain technical advice from the members of the Association

To provide a permanent network between the Geological Surveys and a common, but not unique, gateway to each of the Surveys and their national networks

To promote the contribution of geosciences to European Union affairs and action programmes

Goals and activities

In other words the goal of EuroGeoSurveys is:

To develop a common strategy in order to ensure better understanding of geology and Geological Surveys on European and national levels

The target group of our activities are officials and decision makers on EU and national (regional) levels

Working Groups

In order to reach these goals EuroGeoSurveys maintains its Working Groups, grouping top experts from its Members and Partners as well as some other parties, within the following areas:

Water Resources

Mineral Resources

Geochemistry

Geohazards

Marine Geology

Soil

INSPIRE and Spatial Information

Key EU legislations

Contribution to implementation of the EU legislation on water:

Water Framework Directive

Directive on the Protection of Groundwater Against Pollution andDeterioration (Groundwater Directive)

This includes influencing development of regulations on threshold values for the pollutants and indicators of pollution risks as well as their trends on the national levels

Floods Directive

Major activitiesActive participation of experts, representing the national geological surveys:

BGR (Germany), BRGM (France), LGT (Lithuania), TNO (The Netherlands), NGU (Norway), IGME (Spain) and BGS (United Kingdom)

Working together on:

These include guidance on Groundwater Chemical Status and Threshold Values, Quantitative Status and Trends

Common Implementation Strategy for the Water Framework Directive

Development of its “Work Programme 2007-2009”

European Commission Working Group on Groundwater (WG C)

Further info: WISE-RTD http://www.wise-rtd.info/

EU co-funded projects databasehttp://www.eurogeosurveys.org/more-research.html

Total number of projects at present: 252

Number of water projects: 63

Major funding source is the Framework Programme of the European Union

Major research topics:

Groundwater resources

Hydrogeochemistry

Monitoring and modelling

Integrated river basin management

Water contamination, remediation and protection

EU co-funded projects database

eWater: www.ewater.eumultilingual access to European hydrogeological data

IHME 1500: http://www.bgr.de/app/fishy/ihme1500/International Hydrogeological Map of Europe 1 : 1 500 000

The project is led by BGR (Germany)

IHME 1500International Hydrogeological Map of Europe 1 : 1 500 000

The final draft was issued as a printed map mosaic (2000 copies) and on DVD (1000 copies) with financial support of EGS and was distributed at the International Geological Congress in Oslo

The map was also presented to the officials of the European Commission

Geochemical Atlas of Europe vol. I and IIhttp://www.gsf.fi/publ/foregsatlas/

Geochemistry of Bottled Mineral Waters in Europe

1772 samples

70 elements

pH

EC

Large natural variations of all elements

Cooperation with Geochemistry Working Group

Planned activities

Development of a collaborative project proposal and searching EU co-funding

Participation in the FP7 2009 work programme including a call on“Groundwater Systems”

Participation in the top water European and global events

Contributing to the further works of the Working Group C on Groundwater

Contribution to the development of a harmonized pan-EU groundwater GIS

Thank you for your attention