Harmonised Reporting Procedures for Nutrients (HARP) Workshop Report - Oslo 26-29 January 1998

Abstract

The first Workshop organised in the framework of HARP was held in Oslo 26-29 January 1998 and was organised by Norway, DG XI of the EC and the EPA. Participants from all Contracting Parties/signatories to OSPAR (exept Iceland and Luxembourg), and representatives from UNEP, the Secretatiats of the Fifth North Sea Conference, HELCOM, OSPAR, Rhine Commission, EEA/ETC (marine and freshwater) attended the Workshop. attended the Workshop. Starting points for discussions were the recommendations from OSPARs working group on nutrients (NUT) as regard key issues/main elements to be included in HARP. The workshop gave further clasification on which elements were to be included in HARP in order to achieve co-ordination between international organisations and to harmonise national calculation methods and reporting procedures. Further, the Workshop gave additional viewpoints on the use of harmonised information for reporting on the 50% reduction target for the North Sea, other reporting requirements/targets today and the future, assessment of effects of measures and development of abatement strategies/action plans on catchment levels. strategies/action plans on catchment levels. The Workshop resulted in recommendations and ideas for the further development of the various elements in HARP as regard catchment approach, quantification of agricultural nutrient losses to surface water, quantification of point sources, background load, normalisation of data, retention and riverine monitoring.