Restoring and Maintaining Water Quality in the Danube Region
The document pertains to Priority Area 4 of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region, focusing on restoring and maintaining water quality. It includes information on key documents, the structure of the European Union Strategy, coordination workflow, rules of procedure, and member countries involved in the initiative.
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Priority Area 4: To Restore and Maintain the Quality of Waters L szl Perger & Renata Magulova
IN MEDIAS RES: about the basic documents Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of Regions (8.12.2010., COM(2010) 715 final), and; Accompanying Action Plan of the European Commission (8.12.2010., SEC(2010) 1489, as well as; European Parliament Resolution of 21 January 2010 on a European Strategy for the Danube Region (P7_TA-PROV (2010)0008; Council Conclusions on the European Union Strategy for the Danube Region (3083rd General Affairs Council meeting, Brussels, 13 April 2011); Guidance to the Priority Area Coordinators of the European Commission DG REGIO; 21/06/2011 Kick-off Meeting 2
Structure of the EUDRS EUDRS 14 countries Pilar 1 Pilar 2 Pilar 3 Pilar 4 Connecting Environment Prosperity Strengthening PA 4 PA 5 PA 6 Biodiversity Water Quality Environmental Risks 14 Actions Projects 21/06/2011 Kick-off Meeting 3
Coordination workflow Political level EU Council EU Commission DGs High Level Group of all Member States (with non-EU representatives) National Contact Points PRIORITY AREA COORDINATORS Implementation level Targets, actions revision Actions, projects Funding seeking Assessment and reporting flagship projects labelling 21/06/2011 Kick-off Meeting 4
Rules of Procedure (draft) 1. Mandate 1.1 The Steering Group is created in order to advise and assist in common decision making Hungary and Slovakia, which are the nominated countries as Priority Area Coordinators (PACs) for Priority Area 4, on restoring and maintaining the quality of waters in the EU Strategy for the Danube Region, that actions shall be implemented all over the region. 1.2 The implementation process is following with attention of the European Commission by the representative(s) of the relevant Directorate(s) General. 21/06/2011 Kick-off Meeting 5
Rules of Procedure (2) 2. Members in the Danube Region 2.1 The Members of the Steering Group are Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia as EU Member States; Croatia as a candidate country, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Moldova, Montenegro, Republic of Serbia and Ukraine as non-EU countries. 2.2 Members are represented in the Steering Group by a relevant ministry, state agency or other institution operating in the field of water and environment. 21/06/2011 Kick-off Meeting 6
Rules of Procedure (3) 3. Observers and guests 3.1 In the implementation of Priority Area 4 the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR) has a definite and stable role. The representative(s) of ICPDR Secretariat help(s) the work of Steering Group led by co-chairs (Hungary and Slovakia) in implementation process as a permanent observer in all professional work and the consensus building. 3.2 The other interested Priority Area Coordinators, as PA5 and PA6 within the Environmental Pillar can also participate at the Steering Group meeting as observer. 3.3 Project Leaders within Priority Area 4 and may be touched in PA5 and 6 of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region may also attend Steering Group meetings as appropriate. 3.4 The Steering Group may assign status of guest to other e.g. non- governmental organisations or financial institutions, having interest in the Priority Area 4. 3.5 The Steering Group may invite other parties as guests in case of EUSDR relevance to the meetings. 21/06/2011 Kick-off Meeting 7
Rules of Procedure (4) 4. Actions by the Steering Group 4.1 The Steering Group provides advice and assistance to the PACs by serving as a forum for dialogue, discussion regarding the implementation of Priority Area 4 in the Action Plan for the EU Strategy for the Danube Region. 4.2 The Steering Group is to discuss and/or may recommend new actions pertaining to the implementation of the priority, according to Guidance to the Priority Area Coordinator. 4.3 The Steering Group operates also as a forum for dialogue on projects, on selection and labelling as flagship projects concerning on common priorities, macro-regional relevance and financing feasibility. 4.4 The Steering Group may establish and terminate sub working structures, such as task forces, to deal with specific task having a clear and time-limited mandate. 21/06/2011 Kick-off Meeting 8
Rules of Procedure (5) 5. Rules on decision 5.1 The Steering Group takes overall political guidance from the EU Strategy for the Danube Region and its Action Plan as well as from the Annual and Stakeholder Forums, and the High Level Group. 5.2 The Members of the Steering Group regarding its competence, as identify relevant stakeholders, tracking of on-going projects, agree on deadlines for actions and projects, ensuring policy discussions and policy development, identify Action and Project leaders, seeking for available funding opportunities, ensuring communication and visibility of results, support the identification of new project ideas and monitoring and report on the progress to the Commission, shall strive for consensus among the members. 5.3 If consensus cannot be reached, the EU Member States present shall only reach agreement. 5.4 Agreement on the targets of PA4 shall be taken unanimously Nevertheless, the non- EU Member States should not hinder cooperation among EU Member States on the targets of PA4. 5.5 The Chairman of the Steering Group prepares the agenda and all relevant documents to be discussed for the meetings. All members can present own proposals for the agenda in advance, by the given time-frame, to the Chairman. 5.6 Progress reports on the priority area based on Action Leaders reports shall be drafted by the Priority Area Coordinators, be circulated to and discussed among members before final adaptation by relevant Steering Group Meeting. The observers and guests proposals can be considered before submission of the report to the European Commission. 5.7 All Steering Group meetings are conducted in English. 21/06/2011 Kick-off Meeting 9
Rules of Procedure (6) 6. Meetings and finance 6.1 The Steering Group holds meetings, as needed but at least twice per year. 6.2 Participants may bring interpreters at their own expense. 6.3 The host of meetings bears the costs connected with the meeting. 6.4 Participants in the meetings cover their respective travel and accommodation expenses. 21/06/2011 Kick-off Meeting 10
Task of Steering Group Members on targets To finalize the targets revision by June 2011, as asked by the Commission, we would like to take discussion on the revised and new targets concerned on water quality by contribution of all Steering Group members in 21stof June, 2011, in order to synthesize, finalize and may present them by the end of the kick-off meeting (the first SG meeting). When proposing targets please remember that they should be realistic, feasible and possible to be used also for communication purposes. Furthermore they shall be in line with the main objective of the 2nd Pillar of the EUSDR, as well as with the specific objectives set for Priority Area 4 considering the PA5 and 6,as well. In most of the cases they shall be achieved through concrete projects, the so-called Flagships, and they might be also required by already existing legislation or other regional/international commitments. 21/06/2011 Kick-off Meeting 11
Targets for PA4 Achieve the management objectives set out in the Danube River Basin Management Plan; Reduce the nutrient levels in the Danube River to allow the recovery of the Black Sea ecosystems to conditions similar to 1960s; Elaborate a Danube Delta Analysis Report by 2013 as a step towards completion of the Delta management Plan, which shall be adopted by 2015; Elaborate, adopt and implement sub basin management plans, such as Sava, Tisza and Prut sub basins Secure viable populations of Danube sturgeon species (to be discussed with PA6) 21/06/2011 Kick-off Meeting 12
Actions in PA4 (to leadership) Interested Sharing of political responsibility between PACs on implementation (already done) countries/organization in technical implementation (may vary depending of projects and project proposals) PACs proposal to technical responsibility of actions implementation (on only one responsible!) No ACTIONS To implement fully the Danube River Basin Management Plan 1 SK/HU ICPDR 2 To greatly strengthen cooperation at sub-basin level HU/SK ICPDR To continue to invest in and support the information collection systems already developed by ICPDR 3 SK/HU ICPDR 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 4 HU/SK ICPDR To establish buffer strips along the rivers to retain nutrients and to promote alternative collection and treatment of waste in small rural settlements 5 HU/SK HU 21/06/2011 Kick-off Meeting 13
Actions in PA4 Interested Sharing of political responsibility between PACs on implementation (already done) countries/organization in technical implementation (may vary depending of projects and project proposals) PACs proposal to technical responsibility of actions implementation (on only one responsible!) No ACTIONS 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 6 SK/HU SK To legislate at the appropriate level to limit the presence of phosphates in detergents 7 HU/SK ICPDR To treat hazardous substances and contaminated sludge with the newest and best available technology and to develop and promote remediation measures for hazardous producing or abandoned industrial sites and waste deposits 8 HU/SK HU To assure the proper control and progressive substitution of substances that are considered problematic for Danube Region 9 SK/HU SK To reduce existing water continuity interruption for fish migration in the Danube river basin 10 SK/HU ICPDR 21/06/2011 Kick-off Meeting 14
Actions in PA4 Interested Sharing of political responsibility between PACs on implementation (already done) countries/organization in technical implementation (may vary depending of projects and project proposals) PACs proposal to technical responsibility of actions implementation (on only one responsible!) No ACTIONS To promote measures to limit water abstraction 11 HU/SK HU To strengthen general awareness and facilitate 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 12 HU/SK ICPDR To promote measures aimed at reducing knowledge deficits, developing and transferring tools, methods and guidelines concerning the safeguarding of drinking water supply 13 SK SK/HU To further strengthen Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) and Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) practices on the Western shores of the Black Sea 14 SK/HU ICPDR 21/06/2011 Kick-off Meeting 15
Project Sheet (task for Action Leaders) Remarks Danube Startegy Action Plan Funding sources ERDF, INTERREG, EAFRD, LIFE+, others (please state) (The first proposed deadline: PILLAR B/Priority Area 4 Flagship project proposal(s) Project titles Actions Planned 2011-13 Planned 2014-20 30/09/2011 Ongoing PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE DANUBE REGION 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 restore and maintain the quality of waters 21/06/2011 Kick-off Meeting 16
Criteria for flagship labelling (proposal) Flagship project shall meet the targets of the relevant Priority Area(s), be realistic (technically feasible), provide added value to the Strategy, provide a win-win solution, be an on-going project with macro-regional effect/relevance, be potentially bankable as planned project (has project leader, deadline, partners and budget), be approved by the Steering Group 21/06/2011 Kick-off Meeting 17
Next steps (by the end of 2011) Finalization of targets by the end of June, Finalization of flagship labelling criteria by the end of June, Sending the PA4 relevant on-going project s sheet to PACs4 by the end of September, Sending the PA4 planned project s sheet (2011-13) outlooking to PA5 and PA6 to PACs4 by end of July (living sheets), The first selection of flagship projects (proposal from Action Leaders and be sent to PACs4) by 15 October The next Steering Group Meeting will be organized by 15 October (the venue is potentially Budapest) 21/06/2011 Kick-off Meeting 18
THANK YOU FOR CONTRIBUTION 21/06/2011 Kick-off Meeting 19
