News

For many countries in the Danube region, achieving universal access to water services while safeguarding water resources remains a significant challenge, particularly in rural areas.

The European Commission proposes to cut the use of chemical pesticides in half by 2030, one of the flagship legislative proposals to follow the Biodiversity and Farm to Fork Strategies. The new rules on chemical pesticides will reduce the environmental footprint of the EU's food system, protect the health and well-being of citizens and agricultural workers, and help mitigate the pesticide use-related economic losses.

The ICPDR has published a Guidance Document on Sustainable Agriculture, along with a Policy Paper.

The first “International Workshop on Water and Agriculture in the Danube River Basin“ will take place on 6-7 November 2019 in Budapest, Hungary. The workshop is co-organised by the ICPDR together with the Hungarian Ministry of Interior, the Hungarian Ministry of Agriculture and the Danube Strategy Priority Area 4 and hosted by the Hungarian Ministry of Agriculture.

Discussions have begun on what the EC’s post-2020 Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) will look like, specifically wishing to detail a framework for “future-proof” policy. With that in mind, ambitions regarding environmental and climate protection are due to be heightened responding to international commitments, EU environmental challenges, and above all, changing societal expectations. In response to the post-2020 CAP proposals, the ICPDR has published a Position Paper, outlining our positive response to the proposals, and suggesting a way forward for the Danube River Basin.

Luxemburg, 13 May 2014. According to an EU Audit, the union has only partially succeeded in integrating water policy goals into the common agricultural policy (CAP). The audit highlighted weaknesses in the two instruments currently used to integrate water concerns into the CAP and pointed out delays and weaknesses in the implementation of the WFD.

Sarajevo, 19 June 2013. As an essential step in maintaining a dialogue with the hydropower sector, the ICPDR's Standing Working Group has adopted the "Guiding Principles on Sustainable Hydropower Development in the Danube Basin". The document is available for download here.

Ljubljana, 26/27 March 2013. Organised by Slovenia and the ICPDR, a conference on hydropower and water management will be held where draft guiding principles will be discussed with a broader audience, accompanied by presentations on practical examples for the application.

Timişoara, 21/22 February 2012. Cooperation on navigation is already ongoing and has now been launched for hydropower: efforts are needed in creating win-win situations and benefits for all actors involved. The 1st ICPDR Workshop on Hydropower and Water Management was organised by Romania (Apele Romane) in close cooperation with the other two Lead Countries Austria and Slovenia and the ICPDR.

Bucharest, 5-6 November 2012. The Danube and Tisza River Basin Management Plans require a dialogue between stakeholders from the agricultural and water management sectors. To facilitate this, a Workshop on Agriculture and Water Management in the Danube River Basin will be held in Bucharest between 5-6 November 2012.