Commission Implementing Decision of 3 November 2011 on granting a derogation requested by Italy with regard to the Regions of Emilia Romagna, Lombardia, Piemonte and Veneto pursuant to Council Directive 91/676/EEC concerning the protection of waters against pollution caused by nitrates from agricultural sources (notified under document C(2011) 7770) (Only the Italian text is authentic) (2011/721/EU)

Article 10 Monitoring

1. The competent authorities shall ensure that maps showing the percentage of farms, percentage of livestock, percentage of agricultural land covered by individual derogations and maps showing local land use for each municipality are drawn up and updated every year. Data on crop rotations and agricultural practices in farms benefiting from derogations shall be collected and updated every year.

2. A monitoring network for sampling of surface and shallow groundwater shall be established and maintained to assess the impact of the derogation on water quality. The draft monitoring network shall be submitted to the Commission. The amount of initial monitoring sites cannot be reduced and the location of the sites cannot be changed during the period of applicability of this Decision.

3. A reinforced water monitoring shall be conducted for agricultural catchments located in proximity to most vulnerable water bodies, to be identified by the competent authorities.

4. Monitoring sites shall be established, in order to provide data on nitrogen and phosphorus concentration in soil water, on mineral nitrogen in soil profile and corresponding nitrogen and phosphorus losses through the root zone into groundwater, as well as on nitrogen and phosphorus losses by surface and subsurface run-off, both under derogation and non-derogation conditions. The monitoring sites shall include main soil types, fertilisation practices and crops. The draft monitoring network shall be submitted to the Commission. The amount of initial monitoring sites cannot be reduced and the location of the sites cannot be changed during the period of applicability of this Decision.