Managing nitrogen and phosphorus loads to water bodies : characterisation and solutions towards macro-regional integrated nutrient management : under enlargement and integration action

Joint Research Centre organized a workshop bringing together scientists, policy makers and water managers to exchange experiences on the approaches presently used in Enlargement and Integration countries and in EU 28 Member States in controlling nitrogen and phosphorus emissions from human land-based activities. The Workshop intended to progress from characterisation to solutions linking European and country scales (where decision making takes place) to the watershed and farm scales (where implementation happens). It also addressed the need of a macro-regional approach to nutrient management, as nutrient pollution often goes beyond country borders and requires coordinated cross-sectoral actions to prevent solutions transferring problems from one economic sector or environmental compartment to another. The workshop was structured into three main sessions featuring a series of presentations given by scientists, policy makers and country representatives. The first session aimed at characterizing the current policies and international activities on nutrient management. In the second session the current profiles of nutrient loads to water bodies and national policies in Enlargement and Integration countries and selected EU Member States were presented. The third session concentrated on how to strengthen the knowledge base of integrated nutrient management as a support to policy making. Breakout groups were also organised to allow participants to discuss countries' experiences and perspectives and identify recommendations for follow up actions, aim at improving integration of activities in Enlargement and Integration countries and EU Member States. This report presents the contributions from the participants (Section 2), then the discussion in the breakout sessions (Section 3), and finally the recommendations that emerged from the Workshop (Section 4).