1. 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 maintenance the quality of waters (EUSDR Priority A rea 04) Radoslav Bujnovský Water Research Institute, Bratislava bujnovsky@vuvh.sk

2. Introduction ● Environment protection is indispensable part of Danube region development that is embedded in the recent EU strategic documents ( e.g. EU Strategy for Danube Region, Europe 2020). development that is embedded in the recent EU strategic documents ( e.g. EU Strategy for Danube Region, Europe 2020). ● 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 as a major international hydrological basin and ecological corridor, requires a regional approach to nature conservation, spatial planning and water management. nature conservation, spatial planning and water management.

3. ● Water quality represents world-wide significant policy problem. Reaching the good state of waters through the implementation of WFD in EU countries and relevant national legislation in non 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 and relevant national legislation in non 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. the environmental impact of transport links, tourist development, or new energy-producing facilities is not negligible.

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

5. A: Provision of activities focused on improvement of water quality in Danube Region countries through fulfilment water quality in Danube Region countries through fulfilment of targets and actions of targets and actions ● The River Basin Management Plans set concrete targets and measures that improve water quality through reducing pollution from measures that improve water quality through reducing pollution from organic, nutrient or hazardous substances. organic, nutrient or hazardous substances. ● In harmony with that, PA 04 has defined 5 targets and 14 actions.

6. ● PA04 TARGETS : 1. Achieve the management objectives set out in the Danube River 1. Achieve the management objectives set out in the Danube River Basin Management P lan Basin Management P lan 2. Reduce the nutrient levels in the Danube river to allow the recovery 2. Reduce the nutrient levels in the Danube river to allow the recovery of the Black sea ecosystems to conditions similar to 1960s of the Black sea ecosystems to conditions similar to 1960s 3. Elaborate a Danube delta analysis report by 2013 as a step 3. Elaborate a Danube delta analysis report by 2013 as a step towards completion of the Delta management plan, which shall be towards completion of the Delta management plan, which shall be adopted by 2015 adopted by 2015 4. Elaborate, adopt and implement sub basin management plans, 4. Elaborate, adopt and implement sub basin management plans, such as Sava, Tisza and Prut sub basins such as Sava, Tisza and Prut sub basins 5. Secure viable populations of Danube sturgeon species. 5. Secure viable populations of Danube sturgeon species.

7. ● PA 04 ACTIONS : 1. To implement fully the Danube River Basin Management Plan 1. To implement fully the Danube River Basin Management Plan 2. To greatly strengthen cooperation at sub-basin level 2. To greatly strengthen cooperation at sub-basin level 3. To continue to invest in and support the information collection 3. To continue to invest in and support the information collection systems already developed by ICPDR systems already developed by ICPDR 4. To continue boosting major investments in building and upgrading 4. To continue boosting major investments in building and upgrading urban wastewater treatment facilities across the Danube Basin, urban wastewater treatment facilities across the Danube Basin, including measures to build capacity at the regional and local level including measures to build capacity at the regional and local level for the design of such infrastructure for the design of such infrastructure 5. To establish buffer strips along the rivers to retain nutrients and to 5. To establish buffer strips along the rivers to retain nutrients and to promote alternative collection and treatment of waste in small rural promote alternative collection and treatment of waste in small rural settlements settlements

8. ● PA 04 ACTIONS – cont. : 6. To foster and develop an active process of dialogue and cooperation 6. To foster and develop an active process of dialogue and cooperation between authorities responsible for agriculture and environment between authorities responsible for agriculture and environment to ensure that measures are taken to address agricultural pollution to ensure that measures are taken to address agricultural pollution 7. To legislate at the appropriate level to limit the presence of 7. To legislate at the appropriate level to limit the presence of phosphates in detergents phosphates in detergents 8. To treat hazardous substances and contaminated sludge with the 8. To treat hazardous substances and contaminated sludge with the newest and best available technology and to develop and promote newest and best available technology and to develop and promote remediation measures remediation measures 9. To assure the proper control and progressive substitution of 9. To assure the proper control and progressive substitution of substances that are c onsidered problematic for Danube Region substances that are c onsidered problematic for Danube Region 10. To reduce existing water continuity interruption for fish migration in 10. To reduce existing water continuity interruption for fish migration in the Danube river basin the Danube river basin

9. ● PA 04 ACTIONS – cont. : 11. To promote measures to limit water abstraction 11. To promote measures to limit water abstraction 12. To strengthen general awareness and facilities exchange of 12. To strengthen general awareness and facilities exchange of good practice in integrated water management issues in the good practice in integrated water management issues in the Danube Basin among decision-makers at all levels and among Danube Basin among decision-makers at all levels and among the population of the Region the population of the Region 13. To promote measures aimed at reducing knowledge deficits, 13. To promote measures aimed at reducing knowledge deficits, developing and transferring tools, methods and guidelines developing and transferring tools, methods and guidelines concerning the safeguarding of drinking water supply concerning the safeguarding of drinking water supply 14. To further strengthen Integrated Coastal Zone Management and 14. To further strengthen Integrated Coastal Zone Management and Maritime Spatial Planning p ractices on the Western shores of the Maritime Spatial Planning p ractices on the Western shores of the Black Sea. Black Sea.

10. ● 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

11. B: Support of the approval of project proposals relevant to PA04 area 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.

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

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

14. C: Development of cooperation with other PAs within and outside the Pillar B 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 - participation of PAC 04 as members of most relevant SGs of other PAs for mutual information exchange PAs for mutual information exchange - assisting of PAC04 at preparation of cross-cutting project - assisting of PAC04 at preparation of cross-cutting project proposals through sharing available information with other project proposals through sharing available information with other project partners. partners.

15. Thank you for your attention