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Europaudvalget 2021
KOM (2021) 1000
Offentligt

EUROPEAN

COMMISSION

Brussels, 11.10.2021

SWD(2021) 1001 final

PART 10/38

COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT

Accompanying the document

REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL AND THE EUROPEAN

PARLIAMENT

on the implementation of Council Directive 91/676/EEC concerning the protection of

waters against pollution caused by nitrates from agricultural sources based on Member

State reports for the period 2016–2019

{COM(2021) 1000 final}

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Water Quality Monitoring - Wallonia

In Wallonia, nitrate monitoring to support the implementation of the Nitrates Directive is

organized by the “Service Public de Wallonie Agriculture, Ressources Naturelles

Environnement (SPWARNE), either directly or relying on local potable water producers.

For groundwater, drinking water producers represent almost 70% of the groundwater

monitoring network. Groundwater monitoring frequency is highly variable and range

from 4 measurements per year to 4 measurements every 3 to 4 years depending on the

location of the well and the concentration. For surface water, the network was designed

to have long time series and ensuring that the network covers the whole territory of

Wallonia. Monitoring frequency for surface water is 12 samples per year.

It is noteworthy that in some cases in the bar charts the total value can differ from 100%

due to rounding errors.

Groundwater quality monitoring network

Table 7. Number of GW stations with measurements and trends per type

Surface water quality monitoring network

Table 8. Number of SW stations with measurements, trends and trophic status per type

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Groundwater Quality - Wallonia

Groundwater average annual nitrate concentration

Figure 22. Spatial distribution of average NO3 annual concentration (map) and corresponding percentage

of monitoring points per classes of concentration by reporting period (x axis). In the map in blue the NVZ.

Figure 23. Comparison of percentage of monitoring points in the three reporting periods by classes of

average NO3 annual concentration (x axis)

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Groundwater concentration trend

Figure 24. Spatial distribution of average NO3 annual trends (map) and corresponding percentage of

monitoring points per classes of trends by reporting period (x axis). The percentages below 5% are not

labelled, see the next plot for more information. In the map in blue the NVZ.

Figure 25. Comparison of percentage of monitoring points in the three reporting periods by classes of

average NO3 annual trends (x axis)

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Groundwater hotspot

Figure 26. GW hotspot analysis map (top graph) and distribution by NUTS2 (lower graph) of average

NO3 annual concentration greater than 40 mg/l. In the map in blue the NVZ.

The hotspot analysis identifies all the GW monitoring stations that have NO3

concentration in the range of 40-50 mg/l with increasing trends and above 50 mg/l. The

map shows the spatial distribution of these points, and the table reports the number of

stations by NUTS inside and outside NVZ. Only the NUTS of interest are reported.

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Surface Water Quality - Wallonia

Surface water average annual nitrate concentration

Figure 27. Spatial distribution of average NO3 annual concentration (map) and corresponding percentage

of monitoring points per classes of concentration by reporting period (x axis). The percentages below 5%

are not labelled, see the next plot for more information. In the map in blue the NVZ.

Figure 28. Comparison of percentage of monitoring points in the three reporting periods by classes of

average NO3 annual concentration (x axis)

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Surface water average annual nitrate concentration trend

Figure 29. Spatial distribution of average NO3 annual trends (map) and corresponding percentage of

monitoring points per classes of trends by reporting period (x axis). The percentages below 5% are not

labelled, see the next plot for more information. In the map in blue the NVZ.

Figure 30. Comparison of percentage of monitoring points in the three reporting periods by classes of

average NO3 annual trends (x axis)

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Surface Water Eutrophication

Figure 31. Spatial distribution of eutrophic status (map) and corresponding percentage of monitoring

points per classes of status by reporting period (x axis). In the map in blue the NVZ.

Figure 32. Comparison of percentage of monitoring points in the three reporting periods by classes of

status (x axis)

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The Eutrophic status vs average NO3 annual concentration

Figure 33. The SW monitoring stations with eutrophic status versus the average NO3 annual concentration

. In the

map in blue the NVZ.

The analysis shows all the SW monitoring stations with the highest trophic status and

the corresponding value of NO3 concentration. The map shows the spatial distribution

of these points, and the table reports the number of stations with measurements with

highest trophic status and the corresponding stations by classes of NO3 concentration.

Only the NUTS of interest are reported.

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Like for the previous report the eutrophication criteria are those used for the Water

Framework Directive. For rivers, eutrophication is evaluated by river type based on

orthophosphate and total phosphorus thresholds. For surface water reservoirs,

eutrophication is based on summer chlorophyll-a concentration.

Table 9. Summary of SW stations by classes of trophic status and type.

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Surface Water quality hotspot

Figure 34. SW hotspot analysis map (top graph) and distribution by NUTS2 (lower graph) of average

NO3 annual concentration greater than 40 mg/l and trophic status. In the map in blue the NVZ.

The hotspot analysis identifies all the SW monitoring stations that have high trophic

status (eutrophic and hypertrophic), NO3 concentration in the range of 40-50 mg/l with

increasing trends and above 50 mg/l. The map shows the spatial distribution of these

points, and the table reports the number of stations by NUTS inside and outside NVZ.

Only the NUTS of interest are reported.

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Measures in the Action Programme - Wallonia

Wallonia implements an Action Programme throughout its territory. The Action

Programme includes basic measures to be implemented in the whole territory and

additional measures to be implemented in NVZ areas. No changes were made to the

Action Programme from the last reporting period.

Control-Wallonia

Controls of implementation of the code of good agricultural practices are performed

under the framework of cross-compliance. Around 1% of the concerned farmers are

visited on a yearly basis. Compliance was 100% for all criteria but for the storage

capacity criteria for which compliance was 99.1%. In addition to these checks, addition

checks are performed controlling potential nitrogen leaching for farms partially in NVZ

areas. The proportion of samples that were compliant with the soil- and crop-specific

reference levels was around 80% for the 2016-2020 period.

Designation of NVZs-Wallonia

Wallonia (Belgium) has not modified the designation of the nitrate vulnerable zones

during the reporting period. The NVZs extend over an area of 9596.15 km

representing 57% of the whole territory and 69.2% of the UAA.

Forecast of Water Quality-Wallonia

Future water quality is predicted based on the use of the EPIC-Grid model. The model

was run for a period extending until 2050 including scenarios of climate change. It was

assumed that land use and fertilization practices were those of 2017, while the

introduction of intercropping in a rotation sequence led to a decrease of mineral

fertilization by 20 kgN/ha. The results are variable and depend on the selection of the

climate change scenario. However, it is expected that climate change will have a

significant impact of surface water and groundwater quality.

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Summary – Wallonia

Figure 35. Summary plot

This plot provides in the first row the percentage of stations exceeding 50 mg/l with

respect to the total stations with measures and the percentage of eutrophic SW stations

with respect to the total for which the trophic status is reported. In the second row, the

percentage of stations exceeding 50 mg/l that are outside NVZ with respect to the total

of stations exceeding 50 mg/, and the percentage of SW eutrophic stations that are

outside NVZ with respect to the total that are eutrophic.

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Long term analysis - Wallonia

Figure 36. Time series of box whisker plots along with the distribution of the measured values for

groundwater stations. RPs represent the reporting periods, RP7 being the last period (2016-2019). The

blue, red, green and black dots represent the mean of the fourth third, second and first quartiles,

respectively.

Figure 37. Time series of box whisker plots along with the distribution of the measured values for surface

water stations. RPs represent the reporting periods, RP7 being the last period (2016-2019). The blue,

red, green and black dots represent the mean of the fourth third, second and first quartiles, respectively.

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Water Quality Monitoring - Federal

The Belgian Federal report presents the water quality of coastal and marine waters.

Currently only 3 stations have measurement of concentrations and trends. There is no

eutrophic station. The stations have NO3 concentration < 2 mg/l and stable trends.

Surface water quality monitoring network

Table 10. Number of SW stations with measurements, trends and trophic status per type

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Surface Water Quality

Surface water average annual nitrate concentration

Figure 38. Spatial distribution of average NO3 annual concentration (map) and corresponding percentage

of monitoring points per classes of concentration by reporting period (x axis).

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Surface water average annual nitrate concentration trend

Figure 39. Spatial distribution of average NO3 annual trends (map) and corresponding percentage of

monitoring points per classes of trends by reporting period (x axis).

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Surface Water Eutrophication

Figure 40. Spatial distribution of eutrophic status (map) and corresponding percentage of monitoring

points per classes of status by reporting period (x axis).

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Surface Water Stations Removed

Figure 41. SW removed stations map (top graph) and distribution by type (lower graph).

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Long term analysis - Federal

Figure 39. Time series of box whisker plots along with the distribution of the measured values for surface

water stations. RPs represent the reporting periods, RP7 being the last period (2016-2019). The blue,

red, green and black dots represent the mean of the fourth third, second and first quartiles, respectively.

Conclusions and recommendations

Belgium has a very high livestock pressure and the nitrogen surplus is above the

average for the EU.

There is a very well elaborated network of monitoring stations. The groundwater quality

is bad in particular in Flanders, where also the nitrate concentration in many monitoring

points exhibit a strong increasing trend. The water quality in Wallonia is better than the

average in the EU and remained stable or improved during the recent years.

Nitrate levels in the surface waters of Flanders are also too high and increased over the

last reporting period. While the trophic status is generally good in Wallonia, almost all

surface waters are eutrophic in Flanders.

Flanders reviewed its nitrate action programme 2019, including a gradual introduction of

reinforced measures in the most polluted areas. Even though a number of deficiencies

in the Nitrate Action Program of Wallonia have been identified, this region did not

review its action programme during this reporting period.

The Commission urges Flanders to take additional measures that match the severity of

the problems and to support farmers switching to more resilient and less intensive

production models. Wallonia is required to adapt its programme in accordance with the

nitrate Directive.

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