1. Status of the Intergovernmental agreement on the Dniester River Basin Round table “Towards Integrated Management of the Transboundary Dniester River Basin: Estonian Experience ” Chisinau – Moldova, OSCE 5 July 2007 by Ilya Trombitsky Executive Director Eco-TIRAS

2. Current situation an intergovernmental treaty from 1994 on boundary waters, which is leading by two Governmental Plenipotentiaries belonging to State Water Agencies River Dniester

3. Criticism towards agreement 1994 - It regulates water use of several water bodies; - It regulates only parts of water bodies related to State borders; - No basin approach exists; - No complex approach to natural resources exists; - No public involvement to decision making process is provided; - No establishing of River Commission is provided; - Other than water use stakeholders involvement is limited.

4. Steps forward Drafting of new modern Dniester Agreement in frames of Dniester-2 OSCE/UNECE Project. It includes: It includes: -River Commission with main stakeholders and a public; -Ecosystems approach; -Integration of users interests; -Monitoring and transboundary management; -Perfect

5. Structure of a new draft agreement Art. 1. Scope of agreement 2. Sphere of Agreement 3. Used terminology 4. Principles of Agreement 5. Directions of Cooperation 6. Measures for realization 7. Agreed guidelines and standards 8. Prevention and control of pollution 9. Sharing of water resources 10. Regulation of discharge 11. Constructions 12. Conservation and use of biological resources 13. Protected areas 14. Protection of the Sea 15. Extraordinary situations 16. Monitoring and evaluation 17. Environmental Impact Assessment 18. Notification and consultations 19. Regular data exchange

6. Structure of a new draft agreement Art. 20. Scientific cooperation 21. Public participation 22. Responsibility for damage 23. Non-discrimination 24. Disputes solution 25. River Commission 26. Competence of the Commission 27. Changes and amendments 28. Annexes 29. Obligations by other agreements 30. Action of Agreement

7. Main directions of cooperation in accordance with draft agreement Development of sustainable water use, based on long-term protection of water resources; Substantial lowering of water pollution of the river and the Black Sea; Prevention of degradation and restoration of ecosystems and biodiversity in Dniester River basin; Use, protection and sustainable management of biological resources; Prevention and lowering of consequences of floods, droughts and other negative influence of waters.

8. To realize the agreement Parties a : To realize the agreement Parties adopt national and inter-state programs and plans : a)To control pollution, and establish time-limits for realization; b)To develop sustainable water use, prevention of negative water actions, protection of biodiversity, conservation and rational use of biological resources

9. Согласованные руководящие принципы и стандарты coordinate between environment, conservation, land management, development and water sectors progression from planning at catchment basin level to implementation at site level

10. Potention for Wise Use of Transboundary River Systems Possible steps : 1.unilateral work on each side - by NGOs, local stakeholders, governmental authorities > 2.establish contacts in the catchment basin across the borders, regular consultations, cooperation, joint actions > 3.joint planning, elaborate common management planning documents > 4.undertake common, coordinated activities > 5.administer a shared river and its catchment basin jointly, share personnel and resources.

11. Projects package Dniester-3 (informational data bases) MATRA (four tributaries improvement) Soroca town Water & Sanitation (GEF/WB) Ramsar Site Unguri-Holosnita (Ramsar Small Fund) Perspective projects: Support of River Commission activities Development of River basin programs & plans EIA of Novodnestrovsk Hydro-complex Scientific cooperation on fish resources and water management

12. Managing International River Lower Dniester The Ramsar tools, those of other frameworks should also be used: UN-ECE Transboundary Waters Convention www.unece.org/env/water/welcome.html EU Water Framework Directive Common Implementation Strategy of the EU Water Framework Directive http://europa.eu.int/ comm/environment/water/water- framework/index_en.html