Annual Stakeholder Seminar of the Pillar II. – Protecting the Environment – – Protecting the Environment – of the EU Strategy for Danube Region 06 November, 2012, Budapest Restoring and maint enance the quality of waters of waters (PA 04) Radoslav Bujnovský Water Research Institute, Bratislava

Introduction ● Environment protection is indispensable part of Danube region development that is embedded in the recent EU strategic documents (EU Strategy for Danube Region, Europe 2020 etc.). development that is embedded in the recent EU strategic documents (EU Strategy for Danube Region, Europe 2020 etc.). ● In harmony with concept of sustainable development, one of four EUSDR pillars represents the area of environment. ● Sustainable use of t he Danube Region - as a major international hydrological basin and ecological corridor - requires a regional approach to nature conservation, spatial planning and water management.

● Water quality represents world-wide significant policy problem. Reaching the good state of waters through the implementation of WFD in EU countries is perceived as a basic precondition of prosperous Danube Region development. Reaching the good state of waters through the implementation of WFD in EU countries is perceived as a basic precondition of prosperous Danube Region development. ● Although the water pollution is mainly problem of agricultural activities and untreated sewage, the environmental impact of transport links, tourist development, or new energy-producing facilities is not negligible.

Mandate of EUSDR PA 04 A: Provision of activities focused on improvement of water quality in Danube Region countries through fulfilment of targets and actions. B: Support of the approval of project proposals relevant to PA04 area C: Development of cooperation with other PAs within and outside the Pillar B.

A: Provision of activities focused on improvement of water quality in Danube Region countries through fulfilment of targets and actions ● The River Basin Management Plans set concrete targets and measures that improve water quality through reducing pollution from organic, nutrient or hazardous substances. ● In harmony with that, PA 04 has defined 5 targets and 14 actions. ● PA04 targets: 1. Achieve the management objectives set out in the Danube River Basin Management P lan 2. Reduce the nutrient levels in the Danube river to allow the recovery of the Black sea ecosystems to conditions similar to 1960s 3. Elaborate a Danube delta analysis report by 2013 as a step towards completion of the Delta management plan, which shall be adopted by Elaborate, adopt and implement sub basin management plans, such as Sava, Tisza and Prut sub basins 5. Secure viable populations of Danube sturgeon species.

● PA 04 actions: 1. To implement fully the Danube River Basin Management Plan 2. To greatly strengthen cooperation at sub-basin level 3. To continue to invest in and support the information collection systems already developed by ICPDR 4. To continue boosting major investments in building and upgrading urban wastewater treatment facilities across the Danube Basin, including measures to build capacity at the regional and local level for the design of such infrastructure 5. To establish buffer strips along the rivers to retain nutrients and to promote alternative collection and treatment of waste in small rural settlements 6. To foster and develop an active process of dialogue and cooperation between authorities responsible for agriculture and environment to ensure that measures are taken to address agricultural pollution 7. To legislate at the appropriate level to limit the presence of phosphates in detergents

● PA 04 actions - continue : 8. To treat hazardous substances and contaminated sludge with the newest and best available technology and to develop and promote remediation measures 9. To assure the proper control and progressive substitution of substances that are c onsidered problematic for Danube Region 10. To reduce existing water continuity interruption for fish migration in the Danube river basin 11. To promote measures to limit water abstraction 12. To strengthen general awareness and facilities exchange of good practice in integrated water management issues in the Danube Basin among decision-makers at all levels and among the population of the Region 13. To promote measures aimed at reducing knowledge deficits, developing and transferring tools, methods and guidelines concerning the safeguarding of drinking water supply 14. To further strengthen Integrated Coastal Zone Management and Maritime Spatial Planning p ractices on the Western shores of the Black Sea.

● Most PA04 actions are related to achiev e ment the management objectives set out in the DRBMP and reduction of nutrients in Danube river. Integration of PA04 actions into PA04 targets

B: Support of the approval of project proposals relevant to PA04 area ● Priority Area 4 Steering Group can label appropriate projects as having implementation relevance for the Danube Region Strategy and support the approval and subsequent funding of proposed projects through drawing up a Letter of Recommendation. ● P roject proposal s relevant to PA 04 (n ext slide)

● List of proposed projects supplied with LoRs : - Blue Danube – Improved framework conditions for fast track eco- innovation in waste water treatment (Ac 04) - ProTisza – Promoting strategic partnership enabling cooperation in the Tisza river basin (Ac 02) - Danube sediment management – assessment for restoration of sediment balance in the Danube river basin (Ac 10) - CC-Ware – Mitigating vulnerability of water resources (Ac 12) - FoWaP – Forests for drinking water protection (Ac 13) - SEE River – Sustainable integrated management of international river corridors in SEE countries (Ac 02) - SEWABIS – Environmental status of sediment, water and biota in the Sava river basin (AC 02) - GoodWater – Strategies for development the water management instruments on water protected areas (AC 12)

● List of proposed projects supplied with LoRs (cont.) : - PS-RED – Emissions reduction of priority substances in the Danube basin (Ac 01) - Hydrology study for the Sava river basin (Ac 02) - Towards sustainable sediment management using the Sava river basin as a showcase (Ac 02) - Protection and sustainable use of water resources from alluvial aquifers in the Sava river basin (Ac 12) - ICZM –Improvement of the integrated coastal zone management in the Black sea region (Ac 14)

C: Development of cooperation with other PAs within and outside the Pillar B ● This is the general requirement rooted in EUSDR. The immediate way to encourage this process consists in: - participation of PAC 04 as members of most relevant SGs of other PAs - preparation of cross-cutting project proposals.

Thank you for your attention