Many current water-related RTD projects have already established operational links with practitioners, in several river basins, which allow the needs of policymakers to be taken into account. However, experience has shown that this interrelationship is not as efficient as it could / should be. Often, RTD results are not easily available to policy oriented implementer (policymakers) and, vice versa, research scientists may lack insight in the needs of policymakers. Spi-water proposed a number of concrete actions to bridge the gaps in the “science – policy communication” by providing and implementing an easy to operate “interfacing” mechanism. This interfacing mechanism includes linking activities between existing RTD results and WFD implementation tasks, the use of an interfacing instrument, and dissemination activities. For the science – policy interfacing instrument, the WISE-RTD Web Portal which was developed by Harmoni-CA Concerted Action supported by DG Research under FP5, was linked to WISE (Water Information System for Europe). The actions within SPI-Water could be seen as supportive activities to EEA and Eurostat. Both Institutions are strongly involved in the CIS process and also are involved in the organization of WISE.
The main project objectives were as follows
– Analysis and evaluation of projects in the field of river basin management that are of potential use for the WFD implementation.
– Dissemination activities through the use of science – policy interfacing instrument (the WISE-RTD Web Portal) in the context of the development of WFD River basin management plans
– Development of EU Water Initiative / WFD joint process activities for facilitating the implementation of integrated water resources management principles focused on non-EU countries