Europe - UNEP

Stora Enso pulp and paper mill in Oulu, Finland, with an empty small harbor in the foreground. Photo credit: Estormiz, via Wikimedia Commons.
While numerous other examples of accidental
pollution exist in Europe, the latter accident
highlighted the need to address the problems of
accidental pollution across Europe. The UNECE
subsequently adopted a protocol to the 1992
Helsinki Convention on the transboundary
effects of industrial accidents. However,
accidental pollution continues to be a major
concern in Europe, particularly within the newly
independent countries because a lack of
financial resources exacerbates the risk of
accidents (UNECE, 2003).
3.4 CONCLUSION
This chapter highlighted a variety of conflicts
that have arisen over transboundary waters in
Europe, and shows how institutional capacity
has evolved in response to such conflicts. Most
parts of Europe have experienced such conflicts
that have largely been as a result of contentious
unilateral actions by one transboundary basin
country. Furthermore, the fact that both qualitative
and quantitative characteristics are evident in
transboundary disputes in Europe was illustrated.
While a significant record of conflicts over
transboundary waters exists in Europe, a strong
commitment by European countries to develop
the institutional capacity necessary to resolve is
also evident as international agreements relating
to European transboundary waters date back
over 200 years. While earlier agreements tended
to focus on single uses, there has been a marked
evolution towards the integrated management of
transboundary waters within treaty practice.
Today, a large body of international agreements
relating to Europe’s transboundary waters exists,
which in itself is testament to the desire of
European countries to develop the institutional
capacity to accommodate economic, social, and
environmental changes in a basin. The content of
such agreements will be examined in the next
chapter.
Chapter 3. The Evolution of Conflict and Cooperation over Europe’s Transboundary Waters — 41