Edastuskiri



EUROPEAN COMMISSION
DIRECTORATE-GENERAL
ENVIRONMENT
Zero Pollution
Marine Environment & Clean Water Services

Informal Commission Expert Subgroup on Water Leakage Levels
Terms of reference

1. Background
The Recast Drinking Water Directive1 (DWD) emphasizes the importance of reducing water leakage as a key measure to ensure sustainability and water security. Article 4§3 specifically calls for Member States to take measures that encourage the efficient use of water resources through leakage reduction.
The Subgroup on Water Leakage Levels (SG-WLL) is established under the Commission Expert Group on the Implementation of the Drinking Water Directive (EU) 2020/21842 (DWEG) to assist Member States and the Commission in meeting the requirements set out in paragraph 3 of Article 4 ,by facilitating the exchange of knowledge, best practices, and technical solutions aimed at assessing and improving water leakage levels.
The subgroup shall operate in compliance with the Commission’s horizontal rules on expert groups and shall report to the DWEG. It shall be dissolved as soon as its mandate is fulfilled.
2. Subject matter
The Subgroup of Experts on Water Leakage Levels is set up.
3. Tasks
The subgroup’s tasks shall be:
1. To establish cooperation/coordination with Member States and stakeholders on questions relating to the implementation of the provisions related to water leakage of the DWD.
2. To bring about an exchange of experience and good practice on the assessment of water leakage levels and potential for improvements to reduce water leakage levels among Member States,
3. To determine comparable drinking water leakage level assessment methods before the date of 30 June 2025 which should, to the extent possible, allow a harmonised and consistent communication to the Commission of the results of the assessment of drinking water leakage levels within Member States’ territory.
4. To support DG Environment in the preparation of the delegated act that the Commission shall adopt by 12 January 2028 as provided for in paragraph 3 of Article 4 of the recast DWD.
4. Membership
1. The subgroup shall be composed of maximum 20 members
2. Members shall be Member States' authorities representatives.
3. Member States' authorities shall nominate a representative and shall be responsible for ensuring that their representative provide a high level of expertise.

5. Chair
The group shall be chaired by a representative of …
6. Operation
1. The group shall act at the request of its Chair with the agreement of DG ENV, in compliance with the Commission’s horizontal rules on expert groups1.
2. Meetings of the group shall, in principle, be held on Commission premises or virtually, depending on the circumstances.
3. DG ENV shall provide secretarial services. Commission officials from other departments with an interest in the proceedings may attend meetings of the subgroup.
4. In agreement with DG ENV, the group may, by simple majority of its members, decide that deliberations shall be public.
5. Minutes on the discussion on each point on the meetings’ agenda and on the opinions delivered by the group shall be meaningful and complete. Minutes shall be drafted by the secretariat under the responsibility of the Chair.
6. As far as possible, the group shall adopt its opinions, recommendations or reports by consensus. In the event of a vote, the outcome of the vote shall be decided by simple majority of the members. Members who have voted against or abstained shall have the right to have a document summarising the reasons for their position annexed to the opinions, recommendations or reports.
7. Invited experts
DG ENV may invite experts with specific expertise with respect to a subject matter on the agenda to take part in the work of the group or sub-groups on an ad hoc basis.

8. Rules of procedure
The subgroup shall operate in compliance with the expert group’s rules of procedure.
9. Transparency
1. The subgroup shall be registered in the Register of Commission expert groups and other similar entities (‘the Register of expert groups’).
2. All relevant documents, including the agendas, the minutes and the participants’ submissions, shall be made available via a link from the Register to a dedicated website, where this information can be found. Access to dedicated websites shall not be submitted to user registration or any other restriction. In particular, DG ENV shall publish the agenda and other relevant background documents in due time ahead of the meeting, followed by timely publication of minutes. Exceptions to publication shall only be possible where it is deemed that disclosure of a document would undermine the protection of a public or private interest as defined in Article 4 of Regulation (EC) N° 1049/20011.
10. Meeting expenses
1. Participants in the activities of the subgroup shall not be remunerated for the services they offer.
2. Travel and subsistence expenses incurred by participants in the activities of the subgroup shall not be reimbursed by the Commission.

Done in Brussels on [date].


DWEG meeting 11.09.2024 - Agenda point 7 – ‘Implementation Article 18.1 b): Member States’ data sets on information regarding risk assessment and risk management in catchment areas for abstraction points’




Member States have to set up a data set containing information related to the risk assessment and risk management of the catchment areas for abstraction points by 12 July 2027. In accordance with the provisions of the recast DWD, this data set should include the following information:
1. Mandatory: a list with unique identifiers for each catchment area for abstraction points of water intended for human consumption.
2. Optional: identifier of the corresponding water supply zone (identifier as included in the Member States’ data sets under Article 18.1 c), d) and e)).
3. Optional: identifier of the corresponding water body (identifier as included in the Water Framework Directive report)).
4. Mandatory: (links to) a map of each catchment areas and
5. Conditional: (links to) safeguard zones established under the Article 7(3) of the Water Framework Directive (WFD). [conditional because if Member States haven’t established ‘safeguard zones’, they cannot provide this information]
6. Optional: geo-references for mapped abstraction points [optional: see Article 13(1) of the Directive 2007/2/EG – INSPIRE]
7. Mandatory: a description of land-use, runoff and recharge processes
8. Mandatory: the list of parameters selected under Article 8.2(c) and their monitoring results
9. Mandatory: based on the outcome of the risk assessments carried out, an overview of the risk management measures taken by the Member States to prevent or control the risks identified, these are:
a) preventive and mitigation measures to safeguard the quality of the water not yet covered by the WFD
b) monitored parameters for substances and pollutants not yet covered by the WFD
c) evaluation of the need to establish or adapt the safeguard zones (established under Article 7(3) of the WFD) and any other relevant zones

The collection and data treatment of this information can vary significantly in the Member States. The Commission envisages to set up a (simple) template for the Member States to transfer the MS’ data set to Reportnet3.
In order to set up the template, the Commission would like to receive input from DWEG members by 31 October on the format in which Member States can provide the information on each of the above points. Based on the input received, the Commission will, to the extent possible, develop a general template for the Member States’ data set transfer to Reportnet3.