No C 321/2 Official Journal of the European Communities 13.12.85 
II 
(Preparatory Acts) 
COMMISSION 
Proposal for a Council Decision amending Decision 77/795/EEC establishing a common 
procedure for the exchange of information on the quality of surface fresh water in the 
Community 
COM(85) 605 final 
(Submitted by the Commission to the Council on 19 November 1985) 
(85/C 321/02) 
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, 
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European 
Economic Community, and in particular Article 235 
thereof, 
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, 
Having regard to the opinion of the European Par­
liament, 
Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and 
Social Committee, 
Whereas pursuant to Article 3 (6) of Council Decision 
77/795/EEC(1), the Commission is required to assess the 
effectiveness of the procedure for the exchange of infor­
mation and submit proposals to the Council with a view 
to improving the procedure and, if necessary, 
harmonizing the methods of measurement; 
Whereas Article 2 should be amended to avoid the 
forwarding of information which does not vary each 
year; 
Whereas Article 3 should be amended in order to 
simplify the procedure for drawing up and publishing 
reports every three years; whereas the Commission 
should publish such reports and assess the effectiveness 
of the procedure in order, where appropriate, to improve 
it by means of intercalibration of the reference methods 
of measurement; 
Whereas Article 4 concerning the first information to be 
exchanged should be replaced by a procedure involving 
the intercalibration of the methods of measuring 
parameters listed in the Annex and by the designation by 
each Member State of a national laboratory to take part 
in the intercalibration exercise; 
Whereas it is appropriate to include a new Article 
concerning the minimum frequency of sampling and 
O OJ No L 334, 24. 12. 1977, p. 29. analysis of^the parameters, the possibility of reducing this 
frequency if no significant variation in the value of the 
water quality parameters is established, the methods of 
measuring the parameters specified in the Annex and the 
conditions concerning sampling and the preservation of 
samples; 
Whereas the Annexes should be amended in order to 
include a new parameter and the reference methods of 
measurement, 
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: 
Article 1 
Decision 77/795/EEC is hereby amended as follows: 
Article 3 is hereby amended as follows: 
1. (a) The following subparagraph is added to 
paragraph 3: 
'The descriptions of the methods referred to in 
Article 2 (2) (b) may be omitted if the methods 
are the same as those used in previous years.'; 
(b) in paragraph 4, 'at least every 12 months' is 
replaced by 'before 1 October of the following 
year'; 
(c) in paragraph 5, 'annually' is replaced by 'every 
three years and for the first time following 
notification of this Decision in 1987' and 'the 
final version shall be forwarded to the Member 
States' is replaced by 'the Commission shall 
publish the final version'; 
(d) in paragraph 6, 'within not more than three years 
of the notification of this Decision' is deleted and 
'if necessary, harmonizing the methods of 
measurement' is replaced by 'harmonizing the 
reference methods of measurement in Annex III, 
taking into account the intercalibration thereof. 
13.12. 85 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 321 /3 
2. Article 4 is replaced by the following: 
'Article 4 
1. The Commission shall, if necessary, organize the 
intercalibration of the reference methods of 
measuring the parameters listed in Annex III. 
2. Each Member State shall designate a national 
laboratory to take part in this exercise. The other 
national laboratories taking part in the measurement 
of the parameters in Annex II shall intercalibrate with 
the laboratory designated by each Member State.' 
3. The following Article is inserted in the Decision: 
'Article 4a 
1. In order to implement the common procedure 
for the exchange of information, the Member States 
shall lay down a twice-monthly frequency for 
sampling and analysis for each parameter listed in 
Annex II. 
2. If a Member State establishes that the water 
quality does not display any significant variation in 
terms of the value of the parameters, the frequenq,r of 
sampling and measurement may be reduced with the 
agreement of the Commission. 3. The reference methods for the parameters in 
question are set out in Annex III. Laboratories which 
use other methods shall satisfy themselves that the 
results obtained are comparable. 
4. The containers used for samples, the agents or 
methods used to preserve part of a sample for the 
analysis of one or more parameters, the conveyance 
and storage of samples and the preparation of samples 
for analysis must not be such as to bring about any 
significant change in the results of the analysis. 
5. Sampling shall take place in the same places and 
under the same conditions in the event of successive 
sampling operations.' 
4. In Annex II, the following parameter and a 
footnote (3) are added: 
'Biological 
quality (J) 
(J) The results given in the "mode of expression" and "significant 
figures" columns are based on the respective methods used by 
each Member State.' 
5. The Annex to this Decision is added as Annex III. 
Article 2 
This Decision is addressed to the Member States. 
No C 321/4 Official Journal of the European Communities 13. 12. 85 
'ANNEX III 
Reference methods of measurement 
Parameter 
Rate of flow at the time of 
sampling 
Temperature 
pH 
Conductivity at 20 °C 
Chlorides 
Nitrates 
Ammonia 
Dissolved oxygen 
BOD5 
COD 
Total phosphorus 
Surfactants reacting to 
methylene blue 
Total cadmium 
Mercury 
Faecal coliforms Mode of 
expression 
mVs 
°C 
PH 
|j,S cm*1 
at 20 °C 
CI mg/1 
N03 mg/1 
NH4 mg/1 
02 mg/1 
02 mg/1 
Oz mg/1 
Pmg/1 
Sodium 
lauryl 
sulphate 
eq. mg/1 
Cd mg/1 
Hg mg/1 
/100 ml Reference method of measurement 
Flowmeter 
Thermometry 
measured in situ at the time of sampling 
Electrometry 
measured in situ at the time of sampling without prior treat­
ment of the sample 
Electrometry 
Titration (Mohr's method) 
Molecular absorption spectrophotometry 
Molecular absorption spectrophotometry 
Molecular absorption spectrophotometry 
Winkler's method 
Electrochemical method 
Determiantion of dissolved oxygen before and after five-day 
incubation at ± 1 °C, in complete darkness. Addition of a 
nitrification inhibitor. 
Potassium dichromate method 
Molecular absorption spectrophotometry 
Molecular absorption spectrophotometry 
Atomic absorption spectrophotometry 
Flameless atomic absorption spectrophotometry 
— Culture at 44 ° C on an appropriate specific solid medium 
(such as Tergitol lactose agar, Endo agar, 0,4 % Teepol 
broth) with or without filtration and colony count. Sam­
ples must be diluted or, where appropriate, concentrated in 
such a way as to contain between 10 and 100 colonies. If 
necessary, identification by gasification. 
— Method of dilution with fermentation in liquid substrates 
in at least three tubes in three dilutions. Subculturing of 
the positive tubes on a confirmation medium. Count accor­
ding to MPN (most probable number). Incubation tem­
perature: 44 °C ± 0,5 °C. 
13. 12. 85 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 321/5 
Parameter 
Total coliforms 
Faecal streptococci 
Salmonella 
Biological quality Mode of 
expression 
/100 ml 
/100 ml 
/l 1 Reference method of measurement 
— Culture at 37 °C on an appropriate specific solid medium 
(such as Tergitol lactose agar, Endo agar, 0,4 % Teepol 
broth) with or without filtration and colony count. Sam­
ples must be diluted or, where appropriate, concentrated in 
such a way as to contain between 10 and 100 colonies. If 
necessary, identification by gasification. 
— Method of dilution with fermentatin in liquid substrates in 
at least three tubes in three dilutions. Subculturing of the 
positive tubes on a confirmation medium. Count according 
to MPN (most probable number). Incubation temperature: 
37°C± 1°C. 
— Culture at 37 °C on an appropriate solid medium (such as 
sodium azide) with or without filtration and colony count. 
— Method of dilution in sodium azide broth (Litsky). Count 
according to MPN (most probable number). 
— Concentration by filtration (on membrane or appropriate 
filter). Innoculation into pre-enrichment medium. Enrich­
ment and transfer into isolating gelose — identification. 
Pending Community-wide harmonization, Member States will use their 
respective methods.' 
Proposal for a Council Decision on the conclusion of the Protocol to the 1979 Geneva 
Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution on long-term financing of the 
cooperative programme for monitoring and evaluation of the long-range transmission of air 
pollutants in Europe (EMEP) 
COM(85) 649 final 
(Submitted by the Commission to the Council on 26 November 1985) 
(85/C 321/03) 
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, 
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European 
Economic Community, and in particular Article 235 
therof, 
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, 
Having regard to the opinion of the European Par­
liament, 
Whereas by Council Decision of 11 June 1981 (') the 
Community concluded the Convention on Long-Range 
Transboundary Air Pollution; 
Whereas the cooperative programme for monitoring and 
evaluation of the long-range transmission of air 
pollutants in Europe (EMEP), which is to be 
implemented under the Convention, is the principal 
means of obtaining information about the quantities 
emitted and possibly transmitted across national 
forn tiers; Whereas on 24 May 1984 the Commission was auth­
orized to take part, on behalf of the Community, in the 
negotiations on the Protocol to the said Convention on 
long-term financing of the EMEP programme; 
Whereas thanks to the constructive and united attitude 
of the Community and its Member States the 
negotiations culminated in the adoption of the final text 
of the said Protocol and the cost-sharing formula for the 
EMEP; 
Whereas this state of affairs is reflected in the Annex 
setting out the various contributions in which all the 
Member States appear together in alphabetical order as 
the Member States of the European Economic 
Community; 
Whereas, as authorized by the Council on 25 September 
1984 (2) the Protocol was signed by the Community on 
28 September 1984 at the second meeting of the 
Executive Body of the Convention, 
O OJ No L 171, 27. 6. 1981. O Doc. ENV 9088/84.