CIS-Workshop on River Basin Management Plans 8 and 9 May 2006 Bonn Working Group 3 – Drawing-up an international RBMP Examples of international river basin districts Rhine Heide Jekel/Patrick Weingertner Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (Germany)/Agence de l‘ Eau Rhin-Meuse (France)

Outlines State of play on cooperation in the international Rhine river basin district Current discussion points for drafting the international RBMP Work plan Draft RBMP structure Data management Reporting

WFD Coordination Committee 2001 Rhine River Basin River Basin: Ca. 200 000 km² Ca. 58 Mio. inhabitants New ICPR Treaty 2003 CH, F, D, L, NL, EU Only the river Rhine WFD Coordination Committee 2001 F, D, L, NL + A, B (Wallonie), FL CH (-), Italy (-), but cooperate EU (-) WFD river basin coordination A level (international) B level: 9, partly international sub management units

Experience on art. 5 report Changes in the RBMP approach Part A/Parts B-approach was successful in principle Therefore: RBMP will also be divided in part A and parts B Coordination of art. 5 report was too complicated and time consuming in some sub units (parts B) Mixture of bottom up and top down at the same time on different levels Consequence for RBMP preparation: Streamlining the work on this level More national approach Discussion/coordination only of the important part B issues, orientated towards the important questions for the river basin

How to reach efficient common work To identify the significant issues and challenges with international importance, coming from the initial characterisation (roof report) To agree on objectives (boundary waterbodies and up/down stream) To fulfill the issues with appropriate measures To base common work on national works

Significant water management issues identified in the Rhine basin To restore free migration through the rivers and to increase the habitat diversity along the waters To reduce diffuse pollution, in particular from nutrients, plant protective agents, metals, dangerous substances derived from historic pollution To further reduce point source pollution, in particular due to industrial and municipal inputs To harmonize water uses and environmental objectives set out in the WFD: navigation, hydropower, flood protection and others

RBMP preparation in the Rhine basin Work plan 2005 – 2009 Step by step description of tasks/products, dates, responsible groups, coordination needs Including comparability issues (methods, criteria, monitoring results, evaluation, definition of status, derogations …) Discussion in the responsible working/expert group Work shops Discussions have only started in the technical groups Plan will be transferred into a project management tool Better control of tasks, dates RBMP structure Intensive discussion in the small strategy group Second draft

Aim of the management plan roof part for an IRBD Monitoring: to define sites, to harmonize criteria, to identify protected aeras Objectives to reach: for boundary water bodies (good status and good ecological potential) Programmes of measures: measures for the significant common issues, in combining efficiency, feasibility and costs, definition of supplementary measures Public information and consultation: synthesis of implemented actions

RBMP Rhine – Structure I RBMP Structure (state of play) General principles of RBMP production One part A, 9 parts B Top down significant water management issues, how to tackle them basin wide Bottom up relevant measures for the river basin at national and sub unit level

RBMP Rhine – Structure II General principles of RBMP production Coordination/harmonisation Monitoring (e.g. monitoring sites) Objectives (focus: water bodies on the frontiers) Programmes of measures (identification of measures with regard to the 4 significant water management issues) Table with the contents of part A and parts B Basis: Structure of Annex VII WFD Two relevant threads run through the table Water bodies Focus: Water bodies (part A: on the frontiers), where special coordination will have taken place (monitoring, objectives, measures) Significant water management issues

RBMP Rhine – Data and information management GIS expert group Wasserblick Common internet platform to facilitate data management and reporting National International Wasserblick on international level Has already been used for the art. 5 report (harmonised data templates) Will be used for the monitoring programmes Will be used for the RBMP (?)

RBMP Rhine - Reporting Reporting is a national task Each Rhine State has reported art. 5 report part A and the parts B as far as concerned to the Commission Reporting Sheets for Wise Only national Each State reports separately RBMP Rhine will also be produced as text version Parts A and B Important for the public and its participation To prove coordination requirements Report them also to the Commission? Yes

Open Questions Not discussed yet or not in detail on international level (Rhine) If results of international coordination leads to different results than results from national or EU discussions Level of detail of the international RBMP in order to have most added value to national RBMPs Precise new engagements to solve the significant water management issues Possibility that one country will take/pay measures in other countries These questions are asked too early, at least for the Rhine