hydropolitics of the tigris - euphrates river basin with - ceris.be

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The Role of the EU: Regional Power and External Mediator? EU Development Policy on Water One of the biggest powers in the region in terms of size, political and potential economic influence (especially since the new accessions of 1 May, 2004) is the European Union (EU). While the EU may not have a specific policy dealing with the Tigris-Euphrates region, the EU’s development policy provides guidelines for development that can be applied to most river basins. It situates the management of water resources within the overall priority of the social sector and links water to many other sectors such as health, food security, transport and trade. Guidelines have been produced based on the Dublin Principles (from the International Conference on Water and the Environment, Dublin 1992) and Agenda 21 from the first Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. These guidelines promote the river basin as the geographical setting for practicing Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM). Also included are some economic and financial principles such as: � Water has an economic value and should be recognized as an economic good � Charging tariffs for water services is an important component of any strategy for sustainability. 88 These guidelines, although comprehensive, tend to focus on development tools at the national level and don’t provide clear guidelines for the International scale. However in a recent EU policy note for water sectoral development, the document places at the top of its list ‘trans-boundary water management for conflict prevention’ as the first key global challenge for the future. 89 The broader EU Water and Development Policy, while strongly linked to poverty reduction, pursues the issues of trans-boundary co-operation and conflict prevention between states by emphasising sustainable river basin management. In the Communication on Conflict Prevention (11 April 2001), EC support is recommended where a clear commitment to regional collaboration exists “within and, in the case of trans- boundary water resources, between states concerned, through sustainable river basin management…” 90 30
The EC is a major donor in grant financing whose actions follow three principles; political dialogue, development co-operation and trade. Many of these grants for the region fall under a series of programs known as Euro-Med. 91 Environment and sustainable development are clearly stated components of EC development policy for the Euro-Med programs. The EC’s external relations are linked to conflict prevention and resolution for water and land use under the Common Foreign and Security Policy. Actions on this include promoting sound environmental practices in foreign direct investment and in export credits. The EC, in its policy, acknowledges the need to provide support for states to achieve water security and to promote dialogue on “basin-wide cooperation in such areas as information-sharing, capacity building and technology transfers as well as help focusing on achievable goals – out of a ‘basket of benefits’ – instead of focusing on rights and allocation issues. 92 ” It is evident in this statement that an EU development approach to the Tigris-Euphrates dispute would promote dialogue but would give little support to the standard claims (sovereignty, historical rights, territorial integrity) propounded the Tigris-Euphrates countries. Rather the EU focus would be on a river basin approach, something that all three countries have yet to accept as strategy. The EU - Turkey Relationship Since the break-up of the Ottoman Empire Turkey has had strong ties with European States; first with Germany, later with France and finally with the European Union. Since World War II Turkey has been involved with westernisation as a means of ensuring “the irreversibility of the modernisation process”. Although there has been post-war support from the US, Turkey has by preference sought and gained membership to a number of European ‘Clubs’ such as the Council of Europe in 1949 and soon after NATO and the European Economic Community in 1959. As a culmination to this goal, Turkey has applied for membership of the EU. 93 Turkey was by-passed during the three enlargements of the Mediterranean (1981 & 86), Scandinavia and Austria (1995) and the Eastern Enlargement (2004). 94 There was American support for Turkey’s candidacy with Turkey presented as a ‘good ally’. The US criticised the EU for excluding Turkey, meanwhile guarding Turkey as a possible future vehicle for American foreign policy in the region. 95 31
Page 1 and 2: Research Papers N° 1 Centre Europ
Page 3 and 4: Table of Contents Introduction ....
Page 5 and 6: The Twin Rivers of the Tigris and E
Page 7 and 8: mean annual flow consists of only a
Page 9 and 10: and measured a width of 30 metres o
Page 11 and 12: Works, who had the responsibility t
Page 13 and 14: known political components is the P
Page 15 and 16: crystallised the disagreements betw
Page 17 and 18: of planning capacity as well as the
Page 19 and 20: portion had been taken up by petrol
Page 21 and 22: In 1980 a Joint Technical Committee
Page 23 and 24: Lebanon has complained about this b
Page 25 and 26: equal-sharing distribution. This ex
Page 27 and 28: The UN/ILC Law was presented for ra
Page 29: perhaps a River Ethic and a River A
Page 33 and 34: this does not bode well for the imm
Page 35 and 36: and capacity building), an abandonm
Page 37 and 38: Centre Européen de Recherche Inter
Page 39 and 40: & 1 McQuarrie, Patrick, Water Secur
Page 41 and 42: had played a strong role in the dev
Page 43 and 44: BIBLIOGRAPHY Adams, Mark, Water and

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