Danube River Protection Convention
The Convention on Co-operation for the Protection and Sustainable Use of the River Danube (Danube River Protection Convention) forms the overall legal instrument for co-operation and transboundary water management in the Danube River Basin.
The Convention was signed on June 29 1994, in Sofia, Bulgaria, by eleven of the Danube Riparian States – Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Moldova, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Ukraine – and the European Community, and duly came into force in October1998, when it was ratified by the ninth signatory.
The main objective of the Danube River Protection Convention (DRPC) is to ensure that surface waters and groundwater within the Danube River Basin are managed and used sustainably and equitably.
This involves:
- the conservation, improvement and rational use of surface waters and groundwater
- preventive measures to control hazards originating from accidents involving floods, ice or hazardous substances
- measures to reduce the pollution loads entering the Black Sea from sources in the Danube River Basin
The signatories to the DRPC have agreed to co-operate on fundamental water management issues by taking "all appropriate legal, administrative and technical measures to at least maintain and where possible improve the current water quality and environmental conditions of the Danube river and of the waters in its catchment area, and to prevent and reduce as far as possible adverse impacts and changes occurring or likely to be caused."
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Danube River Protection Convention 
Convention on cooperation for the protection and sustainable use of the Danube river. Signed in 1994 in Sofia and in force since 1998. -
Donauschutzkonvention (DRPC in German) Übereinkommen über die Zusammenarbeit zum Schutz und zur vertränglichen Nutzung der Donau (Donauschutzübereinkommen)
Related
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The ICPDR comprises 15 Contracting Parties who have committed themselves to implement the Danube River Protection Convention. The final goals are to co-operate on fundamental water management issues and to take all appropriate legal, administrative and technical measures to maintain and improve the quality of the Danube River and its environment.
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Expert Groups (EGs) are the backbone of the operation and the success of the ICPDR. They are composed of national experts from the Contracting Parties and representatives from ICPDR observer organisations. Eight different Expert Groups deal with a variety of issues and make recommendations to the ICPDR.
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The Secretariat of the ICPDR is located at the United Nations Office at Vienna (UNOV). A team of approximately 10 staff members support the work of the ICPDR and its expert & task groups, assist with project development and implementation, and maintains the ICPDR's 'DANUBIS' information system.
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In keeping with commitments to engaging the public, the ICPDR maintains close relationship with some 24 organisations – representing a variety of public interests – defined by the DRPC as “Observers”.
