Workshop on Joint Program of Measures

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Vienna, 4-5 April 2013. The ICPDR will hold a meeting to discuss the results of the Danube Joint Program of Measures, to learn about funding needs and existing potential funding for the actions, and to discuss the preparation of the Danube Basin Analysis and the 2nd Danube River Basin Management Plan.

Close up of a frog in water

The workshop will give an overview on the status of the implementation of the Joint Programme of Measures (JPM) outlined in the 1st River Basin Management Plan toward reaching the ICPDR main objectives outlined in the DRBM Plan.

The workshop will serve as a platform to summarise the main elements of the commitments of the Danube countries, to evaluate the status of the implementation process and to discuss about the existing available funds and financing instruments and related future actions to reach the Danube River Basin wide objectives.

The main outcomes of the workshop will be the overview of challenges and instruments to bridge existing gaps towards implementation that achieves future long term goals.

Background

The EU Water Framework Directive (WFD)  establishes a legal framework to protect and enhance the status of all waters and protected areas including water-dependent ecosystems, prevent their deterioration and ensure long-term, sustainable use of water resources.

In the case of an international river basin district extending beyond the boundaries of the Community as is the case for the DRB, WFD Article 13 (3) requires that “Member States shall endeavour to produce a single river basin management plan”.

In accordance with this Article, the Danube countries have developed the 1st Danube River Basin Management Plan (DRBM Plan), adopted by the ICPDR in December 2009 and entailing a Joint Programme of Measures (JPM) of basin-wide importance as well as setting the framework for more detailed plans at the sub-basin and/or national level.

The ICPDR prepared an interim report (2012 Interim Report), describing progress in the implementation of the Joint Programme of Measures (JPM) by the end of 2012.

European Union This workshop is supported by the EU Grant DRBMP-2012.