Danube Basin
Issues
Sectors
ICPDR
Ministerial Conference
13 Dec 2004
2004 was a special year for the Danube River with the 10th Anniversary of the signing of the DRPC on June 29, 1994. In addition, the Danube Analysis Report as requested by the EU Water Framework Directive was finalised and reported to the European Commission, and the ICPDR Danube River Flood Action Plan has been finalised.
At the occasion of the Ministerial Meeting the progress that has been taken in improving management of Danube River waters and, most importantly, identify strategies and actions necessary for addressing the challenges that remain, were evaluated .
The countries sharing the Danube Basin endorsed a ‘Danube Declaration’, which expresses their commitment to further reinforce transboundary cooperation on sustainable water resource management within the Danube region.
With Bosnia and Herzegovina ratifying the DRPC, the "Danube Family" is complete
At the beginning of the meeting, the delegation from Bosnia and Herzegovina announced that their country had recently adopted the ratification instrument to join the Danube River Protection Convention. Bosnia and Herzegovina is the last of the 13 signatory members to ratify the convention.
A number of agreements were reached
- The Danube Declaration, ”The Danube Basin – Rivers in the Heart of Europe”, underlines the commitment of the respective countries to cooperate in identifying and implementing solutions for integrated and sustainable water resource management in the Danube River Basin. The Declaration also sets out the priorities, objectives and major actions for the 10 years ahead.
- The completion of the Danube Basin Analysis (or Roof Report 2004) fulfills one of the requirements of the EU Water Framework Directive. The report describes the main environmental problems in the Danube River Basin and reveals that if no action is taken the majority of water bodies may fail to achieve good status by 2015. Based on this report a cost-effective programme of measures will be developed in order to ensure that the objectives of the Water Framework Directive are met. This programme of measures will be included in the Danube River Basin Management Plan to be completed in 2009.
- The Action Programme for Sustainable Flood Protection in the Danube River Basin was also adopted at the meeting. The Action Programme aims at achieving a long-term and sustainable approach for managing the risk of floods to protect human life and property, while at the same time encouraging conservation and the improvement of water related ecosystems. The action programme will now be implemented in the coming years.
- In addition, a Tisza Agreement, specifying additional commitments to coordinate water quality and flood risk management in the Tisza River Basin, was signed by Hungary, Romania, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovakia and Ukraine.
1994 – 2004: Ten years of cooperation in the Danube River Basin
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