Waternet - network for monitoring European water resources The European Environment Agency (EEA) is establishing Waternet, a network to monitor the status of Europe's water resources. Currently there is not sufficient comparable information on water resources to be able to draw up a quantitative assessment, leading to unfair or incom... The European Environment Agency (EEA) is establishing Waternet, a network to monitor the status of Europe's water resources. Currently there is not sufficient comparable information on water resources to be able to draw up a quantitative assessment, leading to unfair or incomplete comparisons being made. The EEA therefore requires to develop new Europe-wide monitoring systems, in order to draw up such an assessment and detect changes, as well as relate changes to environmental pressures or policies. Such work can only be done credibly if comparable data is available. Waternet will be based on the EEA's existing EIONET (European Environment Information and Observation Network), and will draw on existing national and international monitoring networks. The available data will then be processed to ensure that it is compatible and comparable at European level. It is unlikely that new monitoring instruments will be put in place since their cost would outweigh the additional benefit to be gained. By providing reliable information on the state of the environment at European level, Waternet will allow the Commission and Member States to evaluate the effectiveness of policies, as well as develop new ones, in response to pressures on the environment. Waternet should be fully operational by 2000, and will allow a much greater range of information on water resources to be made public.
