Eionet
European Environment Information and Observation Network
Networking improving Europe's environment
Eurowaternet Data Request 2004
Released on 2004-08-27 To:
EIONET PCPs on Water
To: EIONET NRCs River Quality
To: EIONET NRCs Lake Quality
To: EIONET NRCs Groundwater Quality
To: EIONET NRCs Marine Water Quality
To: EIONET NRCs Coastal Water Quality
To: EIONET NRCs Water Quantity and Use
Cc: EIONET National Focal Points
I am writing to inform you of the detailed plans for the Eurowaternet annual data flow that is, as you know, one of the agreed EIONET Priority Data Flows.
The 2004 Eurowaternet annual data flow is the fourth formal Eurowaternet data collection and will run from now until Friday, 26 November 2004. Technical guidance is provided on the content and format of the data required, including templates and details of the method and structure of data exchange. All relevant information for data providers (guidelines, table and data element definitions, templates, etc.) can be viewed at and downloaded from the Reportnet Data Dictionary, see the 'What's new for data providers' section below.
Eurowaternet
The data sets to be collected through this exercise have been selected on the basis of their relevance to the core set of indicators for water and to the objectives and assessment needs of the Water Framework Directive, the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive, the Nitrates Directive, the Dangerous Substances Directive and the Drinking Water Directive. The latter are the major pieces of legislation that will drive EU water policy over the next 15-20 years.
Rivers, Lakes, Groundwater and Transitional, Coastal and Marine Waters
The data sets to be collected under the 2004 data flow will cover the state of, and pressures on, Europe's rivers, lakes, groundwater and transitional, coastal and marine waters. Quality determinands include those relating to nutrients, organic pollution indicators and hazardous and dangerous substances.
Water Quantity
Following the success of last year's data flow on water quantity, information and data are once again requested on the quantity of Europe's water resources. If not already supplied, data are requested for the past ten years.
Data Validation
Earlier this summer, we provided you with a series of validation questions on each data set in Waterbase. Please take the validation questions into account when making your data delivery. More information on the Waterbase data validation 2004 is available in a separate announcement.
Data Delivery
Data files should be uploaded either to the Central Data Repository or to your national EIONET server, depending on the choice of your country for delivering EIONET priority data. The deadline for the delivery of data is Friday, 26 November 2004.
What's new for data providers: Reportnet Data Dictionary at http://dd.eionet.eu.int.
Since the last Eurowaternet data request, the Reportnet Data Dictionary has been implemented and ETC Water is the first Topic Centre to fully use the Data Dictionary to facilitate their annual data flow. The Data Dictionary is a centrally located store of information and definitions for EIONET data flows and data sets. It is now the only source for definitions relating to the water data sets. All information on the content, format and structure of each water data set: rivers, lakes, groundwater, transitional, coastal and marine waters, and water quantity (previously provided in the Eurowaternet Update Guidance Notes and data templates) are now available through the Data Dictionary. There is no need to log in, all relevant information is available on public web pages.
The Data Dictionary has a hierarchical structure:
] on the Data Dictionary web
site.
Please use the Data Dictionary application to:
What's new for providers of groundwater data: GDEM and data delivery through web forms
The EEA is currently developing a generic data exchange module (GDEM), an innovative solution to facilitate the delivery and validation of data. If you wish, you can use the GDEM as an alternative method for providing data on groundwater body characterisation, or you can use the MS Excel template files available for download from the Data Dictionary. The GDEM automatically generates web forms, pre-filled with data provided in previous years. Users can validate, edit and update existing information and add new groundwater bodies. The EEA would like to encourage countries to make use of the new technology. Detailed groundwater-specific instructions will follow in 2 weeks time.
Helpdesk Service
In case of any potential difficulties with EIONET web services, in particular with the Data Dictionary, please contact Hermann Peifer at the EEA. If you have any questions concerning the content of the data request (i.e. related to data definitions, formats, etc.), please contact the people noted in the technical specifications of the respective data flow.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your continued support and look forward to another successful Eurowaternet annual data flow.
Niels Thyssen
Project Manager: Inland Waters
European Environment Agency
To: EIONET NRCs River Quality
To: EIONET NRCs Lake Quality
To: EIONET NRCs Groundwater Quality
To: EIONET NRCs Marine Water Quality
To: EIONET NRCs Coastal Water Quality
To: EIONET NRCs Water Quantity and Use
Cc: EIONET National Focal Points
From: Niels Thyssen,
EEA
Date: 27 August 2004
I am writing to inform you of the detailed plans for the Eurowaternet annual data flow that is, as you know, one of the agreed EIONET Priority Data Flows.
The 2004 Eurowaternet annual data flow is the fourth formal Eurowaternet data collection and will run from now until Friday, 26 November 2004. Technical guidance is provided on the content and format of the data required, including templates and details of the method and structure of data exchange. All relevant information for data providers (guidelines, table and data element definitions, templates, etc.) can be viewed at and downloaded from the Reportnet Data Dictionary, see the 'What's new for data providers' section below.
Eurowaternet
The data sets to be collected through this exercise have been selected on the basis of their relevance to the core set of indicators for water and to the objectives and assessment needs of the Water Framework Directive, the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive, the Nitrates Directive, the Dangerous Substances Directive and the Drinking Water Directive. The latter are the major pieces of legislation that will drive EU water policy over the next 15-20 years.
Rivers, Lakes, Groundwater and Transitional, Coastal and Marine Waters
The data sets to be collected under the 2004 data flow will cover the state of, and pressures on, Europe's rivers, lakes, groundwater and transitional, coastal and marine waters. Quality determinands include those relating to nutrients, organic pollution indicators and hazardous and dangerous substances.
Water Quantity
Following the success of last year's data flow on water quantity, information and data are once again requested on the quantity of Europe's water resources. If not already supplied, data are requested for the past ten years.
Data Validation
Earlier this summer, we provided you with a series of validation questions on each data set in Waterbase. Please take the validation questions into account when making your data delivery. More information on the Waterbase data validation 2004 is available in a separate announcement.
Data Delivery
Data files should be uploaded either to the Central Data Repository or to your national EIONET server, depending on the choice of your country for delivering EIONET priority data. The deadline for the delivery of data is Friday, 26 November 2004.
What's new for data providers: Reportnet Data Dictionary at http://dd.eionet.eu.int.
Since the last Eurowaternet data request, the Reportnet Data Dictionary has been implemented and ETC Water is the first Topic Centre to fully use the Data Dictionary to facilitate their annual data flow. The Data Dictionary is a centrally located store of information and definitions for EIONET data flows and data sets. It is now the only source for definitions relating to the water data sets. All information on the content, format and structure of each water data set: rivers, lakes, groundwater, transitional, coastal and marine waters, and water quantity (previously provided in the Eurowaternet Update Guidance Notes and data templates) are now available through the Data Dictionary. There is no need to log in, all relevant information is available on public web pages.
The Data Dictionary has a hierarchical structure:
- Data sets are at the top;
-
- Tables are defined within each data set;
-
- Data elements (including their definition, data type, size and format) are defined within each table.
- Tables are defined within each data set;
] on the Data Dictionary web
site. Please use the Data Dictionary application to:
- Navigate to the appropriate data set for which you will be providing data;
- Generate and download a technical specification for this data
flow (PDF files);
- Download template files for the data delivery (MS Excel files).
What's new for providers of groundwater data: GDEM and data delivery through web forms
The EEA is currently developing a generic data exchange module (GDEM), an innovative solution to facilitate the delivery and validation of data. If you wish, you can use the GDEM as an alternative method for providing data on groundwater body characterisation, or you can use the MS Excel template files available for download from the Data Dictionary. The GDEM automatically generates web forms, pre-filled with data provided in previous years. Users can validate, edit and update existing information and add new groundwater bodies. The EEA would like to encourage countries to make use of the new technology. Detailed groundwater-specific instructions will follow in 2 weeks time.
Helpdesk Service
In case of any potential difficulties with EIONET web services, in particular with the Data Dictionary, please contact Hermann Peifer at the EEA. If you have any questions concerning the content of the data request (i.e. related to data definitions, formats, etc.), please contact the people noted in the technical specifications of the respective data flow.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your continued support and look forward to another successful Eurowaternet annual data flow.
Niels Thyssen
Project Manager: Inland Waters
European Environment Agency
