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Seminar on Integrated Water Management in the Tisza River Basin
Final Report - XI
ANNEX C. BACKGROUND INFORMATION
FAO Project Outline, revised version
By Mr. Stefan Schlingloff (FAO/REUA) and Mr. Jacob Burke(FAO/AGLW), 16 May 2002
1. Project Title:
Integrated Water Management of the Carpathian Sub-Basin of the Danube - A proposal for programme preparation
2. Project Rational
Problems in effective management of hydrological risks in the Carpathian sub-basin of the Danube River are particularly acute in the Hungarian Plain where floods have been responsible for persistent economic losses and dislocation of affected populations and droughts have severely limited agricultural productivity. In addition, widespread industrial and agricultural pollution is affecting many individual tributaries to the point where both surface and groundwater resources are severely degraded. Joint management of the sub-basin as a whole is therefore an imperative if the hydrological risks are to be managed and the economic benefits derived from water management realised.
In the transition from centrally planned economies to more market orientated economic management, a careful balance has to be found between the technical capabilities of the central water administration and the interests of beneficiaries at the periphery. This will enable equity and efficiency gains to be derived from water management and will involve managing hydrological risk, rather than attempting to minimise risk. The latter approach has characterised previous approaches to water management in the sub-basin.
Several ongoing projects and programmes in the sub-region have involved partners principally from the environmental sector to address issues on pollution control and water management. There is however a need to involve also stakeholders from the agricultural sector and define their role and capacity in the countries' efforts to comply with the EU WFD (WFD).
The requirement to comply with current EU Directives as part of the EU accession process now offers an opportunity for FAO/TCP resources to prepare important groundwork in the field of agricultural pollution control within the context of the recently adopted EU WFD, which places new responsibilities upon EU member and accession states (see background note in the annex).
3. Project Objectives
The project is geared to:
 Establish the political feasibility among the riparian countries for a programme of sustainable and rational joint management of the Carpathian sub-basin.
Establish current plans to conform with the EU WFD and specifically with the provisions of Council Directive 91/676/EEC of 12 December 1991 concerning the protection of waters against pollution caused by nitrates from agricultural sources.
Prepare a preliminary diagnostic review and define the extent of hydro-environmental risk of each riparian country in the basin as a baseline for the required River Basin Management Plan and other required interventions for the WFD compliance.
Set up a platform for exchange of regional information related to EU WFD compliance.
Establish inter-ministerial dialogues between the appropriate Agriculture, Water, Environment, Forestry agencies in each riparian country.
Prepare a full programme document, including the detailed programme implementation and budget to achieve the objective of sustainable and rational integrated water management of the Carpathian sub-basin.
The proposal, if necessary, could include a two-phase approach, to address immediate hydrological risks in a first phase and long-term sustainability of river basin management in a second phase.
4. Relationship to FAO Strategic Framework/Medium Term Plan
The programme proposal falls within the Strategic Framework component D1, Integrated management of land, water, fisheries and genetic resources, which was approved by the FAO Conference in November 1999. It is also squarely within the remit of the FAO Land and Water Development Division (AGL), i.e. within Medium Term Plan entity 211P4 Promotion of water policy and institutional reforms, approved by the FAO Council in November 2000.
5. Expected Outputs
Endorsement of programme concept based on joint management of the Carpathian sub-basin by the concerned riparian states;
Eligibility for EU accession and subsequent financing of regional environmental programmes;
A basin diagnostic review and identification of sustainable strategies and solutions;
A programme document identifying the necessary measures, including establishment of a viable management system, including specification of geographic/hydrological coverage of proposed integrated management programme.
6. Inputs
It is anticipated that the programme proposal will involve a total of 4 work months for FAO technical inputs and international consultants, as well as 6 work months of national consultants in an overall period of 18 months. A number of workshops to which representatives from all riparian will be invited, will be organized, including a final meeting, at which the programme proposal will be presented to member countries and the donor community. A number of papers will be commissioned to national experts and presented as publication/proceedings at the end of the project.
7. Status of the project proposal in beneficiary country
At the FAO Regional Conference (Porto, July 2000) a request was made by Hungary, and supported by Croatia, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Ukraine and Yugoslavia for a project to address hydrological problems in the Carpathian sub-basin of the Danube. The first official request for FAO assistance came from Hungary, transmitted by Dr. Karoly Tamas, Secretary of State (Ministry of Agriculture and Regional Development) to the Director General, dated 10 November 2000 and received on 14 November 2000. Subsequently, three more official requests have been received in FAO: from Slovenia (14 December 2000), Slovakia (22 January 2001), and FR Yugoslavia (26 July 2001). To date, Romania has not explicitly subscribed to this project proposal, but has placed a similar request for a "Projet intégré pour la gestion des eaux et de la terre en Roumanie", also known under the title "Programme complexe de réhabilitation du système de protection contre les innondations et la réhabilitation des ammenagements des irrigations".
8. Points of contact in FAO (technical level)
Jacob J. Burke, Water Policy Officer (AGLW)
Stefan Schlingloff, Agricultural Officer (REUA)
Annex: The EU Background
The recent consolidation of EU water directives into the WFD (WFD) places new responsibilities upon member and accession states. The WFD was officially adopted by the EU decision-making bodies in September 2000, but it did not enter into force until 22 December 2000, the date of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Communities. The Directive reforms EU water legislation by introducing a new model for water management.
The WFD's objective is to prevent further deterioration and achieve "good status" in all waters. The WFD's managerial approach - integrated water management at the river basin level - aims at ensuring overall coordination of water policy in the EU. As a "framework", the WFD focuses on promoting efficient and effective water protection at local levels, by providing for a common approach and common objectives, principles, definitions and basic measures. The mechanisms and specific measures required to achieve "good status" will take place at the local level and are the responsibility of competent (national, regional, local, or river basin) authorities.
It is anticipated that the implementation of the WFD will result in:
improved water protection and allocation,
reduced water treatment costs,
increased amenity value of surface waters, and
a much more coordinated administration of waters.
The key managerial elements of the WFD are:
IRBM across administrative and political borders with coordinated (national) programmes of measures to achieve "good status" drafted in the context of River Basin Management Plans (RBMPs).
Emissions and discharges of all pollutants into surface waters have - by 2012 - to be controlled by a "combined approach". This takes into account not only how much pollutant is emitted, but also the actual concentration of the pollutant in the receiving aquatic environment.
Specific controls for pollution by certain ("riskier") pollutants on a priority basis. Priority substances will be identified for either a progressive reduction of their emissions, or the phasing out of their discharges, emissions and losses to water. The identification has started recently and the first "phase outs" should happen within 20 years of the adoption of proposals by the EU decision-making bodies.
Introduction of water pricing policies. These have to provide, by 2010, adequate incentives for water use efficiency - contributing to fulfilling the WFD's objectives - and take account of the principle of recovery of the costs of water services, including environmental and resource costs. However, EU countries can "opt out" under certain conditions. Guidelines to assist the implementation of the economic aspects of the WFD will soon be developed at the EU level.
Registration of "protected areas" by 2004. These are areas identified in EU legislation (e.g. Nitrates and Birds/Habitats Directives); areas for drinking water abstraction; and any additional identifications in national/local legislation. The water needs of these areas will be satisfied without any new obligations; although their "status" will be the subject of more stringent monitoring requirements.
Strengthened public participation into EU water policy, where - for example - the draft RBMPs will go through consultation with all interested parties a year before their adoption. The WFD also provides a sound basis for EU countries to report on progress towards achieving "good status". Further, it establishes a network of water professionals who will be able to compare and contrast working methods and exchange information and ideas, setting in place the procedures for ensuring coordination and transparency of measures.
The adoption of the EU Drinking Water Directive (80/778/EEC) focused attention on the contribution diffuse sources make to the pollution of waters used for the abstraction of drinking water. The control of diffuse pollution, in particular that caused by agriculture, has posed problems in all EU Member Countries with most countries facing problems with the implementation of the EU Nitrates Directive (91/676/EEC). The recently adopted EU WFD (2000/60/EC) with its requirement to achieve good chemical and ecological status in all surface waters and good chemical status, including trend reversal in all ground waters, will add to the difficulties in the control of diffuse pollution from agriculture. Of particular concern is the pollution by nitrates and pesticides, which can affect the quality of water used for the abstraction to drinking water and lead to ecological effects, but also phosphates, which can lead to eutrophication. The excess abstraction of water by agriculture can also reduce the amount available for other uses and functions and lead to ecological impacts as a result of low flows but also as it can increase the concentration of any pollutants discharged due to the reduction in available dilution. The application of the standard command and control approach has been of limited success in controlling diffuse pollution. This has been recognised in the Fifth EU Environmental Action Programme "Towards Sustainability", which recommended a broadening of the range of instruments to be applied for the control of pollution, including the use of voluntary agreements and the involvement of all stakeholders in the decision making process. This has been further emphasised in the recently published Sixth EU Environmental Action Programme. This recommends the full integration of environmental protection requirements into all Community policies, giving full consideration of all options and instruments, and extensive dialogue between the stakeholders involved.
The ultimate benefit is that the sustainability of water use should be ensured. The WFD is, therefore, much needed as the different pieces of EU water legislation - as developed over the past 25 years - have been fairly unrelated, often lacking consistency with one another, and not designed for sustainability but mainly for pollution control in certain waters or by certain pollutants.
There is a need to prepare a strategic programme of water management and environmental interventions involving all riparian countries from the outset. Hence this proposal makes provision for the careful design of a programme of interventions across the relevant sectors and political and administrative boundaries.
Specifically, Article 10 deals with "The combined approach for point and diffuse sources" and requires that
"1. Member States shall ensure that all discharges referred to in paragraph 2 into surface waters are controlled according to the combined approach set out in this Article.
2. Member States shall ensure the establishment and/or implementation of:
a) the emission controls based on Best Available Techniques; or
b) the relevant emission limit values; or
c) in the case of diffuse impacts the controls including, as appropriate, Best Environmental Practices; set out in:
- Council Directive 96/61/EC of 24 September 1996 concerning integrated pollution prevention and control,
- Council Directive 91/271/EEC of 21 May 1991 concerning urban waste-water treatment,
- Council Directive 91/676/EEC of 12 December 1991 concerning the protection of waters against pollution caused by nitrates from agricultural sources,
- the Directives adopted pursuant to Article 16 of this Directive,
- the Directives listed in Annex IX, (Emission Limit Values And Environmental Quality Standards),
- any other relevant Community legislation, at the latest twelve years after the date of entry into force of this Directive, unless otherwise specified in the legislation concerned.
3. Where a quality objective or quality standard, whether established pursuant to this Directive, in the Directives listed in Annex IX, or pursuant to any other Community legislation, requires stricter conditions than those which would result from the application of paragraph 2, more stringent emission controls shall be set accordingly."
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