Danube Basin
Issues
Sectors
ICPDR
Dear Readers
On 1 January 2007 Romania and Bulgaria will become members of the EU. I am delighted that this historic event coincides with the commencement of Germany‘s EU Presidency and the start of Romania‘s Presidency in the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR). The accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the EU means not only that two more countries of the Danube region have joined the EU, but also that the EU will directly border the Black Sea.
Romania and Bulgaria have been members of the ICPDR since it was established and the cooperation in the framework of this Commission has played a substantial role in bringing the south-eastern states of the Danube region closer to the EU‘s water protection policy. We expect the accession of Romania and Bulgaria to bring additional efforts and new momentum to the protection of the Danube and the Black Sea.
The EU Water Framework Directive is the most important instrument of EU water policy and already sets ambitious requirements and tight deadlines for both national implementation in the EU states and international coordination. As the most international river basin in the world, this is a particular challenge for the Danube region. The Danube Ministerial Conference in 2004 not only gave priority to the Flood Action Programme, it also identified key water management issues in the Danube Basin Analysis 2004, adopted in accordance with the EC Water Framework Directive. For me, the ICPDR is a pivotal link for the countries in the Danube region, and will continue to be so in future.
The year 2007 will be another year of change for the Danube. The UNDP/GEF Danube Regional Project, which for many years has complemented and supported the work of the ICPDR, will be concluded in spring 2007. This project is rightly considered throughout the world as a model of success of GEF‘s work in the water sector. I would like to thank the donors and the team of the Danube Regional Project. For the ICPDR contracting parties the end of the UNDP/GEF support means that in future they will have to shoulder even more responsibility for the protection of the Danube River.
The discussions at the Climate Change Conference in Nairobi have made it clear that water is the key issue when it comes to the impacts of climate change. I believe that the transboundary cooperation along the Danube sets an excellent example for many countries with regard to the efficient management of water resources and the joint development of strategies for adapting to the effects of climate change.
As home to the source of the Danube, Germany feels it has a special responsibility to ensure that the Danube River reaches its downstream neighbours in good status. We will continue to support the international cooperation for the protection of the Danube. I would like personally to wish the work of the ICPDR in 2007 every success.
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