Modelling and Mapping of Critical Thresholds in Europe : Status Report 2003 Coordination Center for Effects

Bilthoven

2003

132 S.

Bandaufführung

90-6960-106-0

136831

This Status Report of the Coordination Center for Effects (CCE) informs Parties to the Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution (CLRTAP) and its network of National Focal Centres of recent updates of the European critical loads database and related work. In 2003 the database was extended with variables needed for dynamic modelling for the first time. This information is necessary to support European air quality policies with analyses of time delays of ecosystem damage or recovery caused by changes, over time, of acidifying deposition. The database was updated and extended following the request of the Working Group on Effects (WGE) at its 21st session (Geneva, 28-30 August 2002). In response to the CCE call for data in November 2002, 19 countries submitted data on critical loads of acidity and eutrophication, while ten countries also submitted the requested dynamic modelling parameters. Other countries indicated their intentions to prepare data for submission for the next call, planned for autumn 2003. This report also contains national reports on the methods applied to contribute to the European critical loads database. The report includes an analysis of the data to help cross-border consistency checks. A comparison is made with the database used to support negotiations of the 1999 CLRTAP Protocol to Abate Acidification, Eutrophication and Ground-level Ozone (the ŃGothenburg Protocolń) and the 2001 EU National Emission Ceiling Directive. The results described in this report will facilitate the intended next step, the call for data to be used in integrated assessments for the scientific and technical support of the review and revision process of these European agreements, expected in 2004/2005.