26
EUROPE
The News N° 24 - March 2014
The 11
th
conference of the "EUROPE-
INBO" group was held in Plovdiv, Bulga-
ria, from 13 to 16 November 2013, at
the invitation of the East Aegean Basin
Directorate of the Bulgarian Ministry of
the Environment and Water. It gathered
183 participants, representatives of
national administrations and basin
organizations as well as NGOs, compa-
nies and international and regional
organizations from 21 Countries.
The conference work was organized around
five major issues:
➊
Feedback from the first River Basin
Management Plans and the prepara-
tion of the Second Plans (2016-2021)
with focus on better coherence between
the level of pressures and the Programs of
Measures; integration of water quantity
issues (resource allocation, drought and
flood management); adaptation to cli-
mate change, better coordination bet-
ween the EU Directives (Flood and Marine
strategy, Habitats, fauna and flora) and
the link with other sectoral policies (agri-
culture, energy, hydropower, naviga-
tion…) and better involvement of stake-
holders.
➋
Funding of Programs of Measures,
access to funds and particularly to EU
Structural Funds; economic analyses for
determining the most cost effective com-
bination of measures; value of ecological
services and application of cost recovery.
➌
New approaches to river and aquifer
restoration:
natural water retention
measures, ecological flow, ecological
focus areas, reduction of agricultural
impacts on water (buffer strips, changes
in agricultural practices, etc.).
➍
Water governance in transboundary
basins:
WFD international districts, role
and means of International Commissions,
Bi and Multilateral agreements and UN
Conventions;
➎
Implementation of WFD principles in
EU neighboring countries,
experiences
of EECCA and Mediterranean Partner
countries.
Mr. Peter Gammeltoft,
Head of the DG
Environment’s Water Unit of the European
Commission, addressed the participants via
videoconference and recalled the objectives
of the "Blueprint to Safeguard Europe's
Waters".
The ”EUROPE-INBO” group members
made recommendations to further
improve water resources management
in the European Union and in the Part-
ner Countries, relying in particular on
their practical experience gained in the
field.
The ”EUROPE-INBO” group, CEENBO and
MENBO support the initiative of the European
Commission of greater involvement of Basin
Authorities in the activities of the Common
Implementation Strategy (CIS).
In such a background, they support INBO ini-
tiative
to facilitate a real European Net-
work of Basin Authorities
for analyzing
the best practices and dealing with issues rai-
sed by the implementation of the directives at
basin level and report to the European Com-
mission and to
the Strategic Coordination
Group (SCG)
to which INBO is member.
It seems necessary to improve the WFD rela-
tionship and coordination with the Directives
on “Urban Wastewater ”, ”Nitrates”, ”Drin-
king Water ”, ”Groundwater ”, ”Bathing
waters”, ”Flood”, ”Marine Strategy Frame-
work Directive” and ”Environmental Quality
Standards” in particular.
FRom one conTinenT To anoTHeR
The opening ceremony © IOWater - C. Runel
11
th
”EUROPE-INBO” International Conference
183 participants coming from 21 countries © IOWater - C. Runel
