Europe - UNEP

must achieve good water status with regards to
surface water and groundwater usage by 2015 at
the latest, subject to a number of exceptions;
good water status is essentially defined as the
rate at which the resource is utilised at a
sustainable level (Rieu-Clarke, 2004).
Furthermore, the 2000 EU WFD and its
supporting legislation requires member countries
to adopt a combined approach to point and
diffuse sources of pollution whereby a
combination of emission controls, emission limit
values, and best environmental practices are
adopted. In addition, member countries are
required to ensure that by 2010 water pricing
policies provide adequate incentives for users to
utilize water resources efficiently, and that there is
an “adequate contribution” of the different water
uses to the recovery of the costs of water services
taking into account the polluter pays principle.
Following the 1992 Helsinki Convention,
contracting parties are obligated to take all
appropriate measures “to ensure that
transboundary waters are used with the aim of
ecologically sound and rational water
management, conservation of water resources
and environmental protection.” Moreover,
contracting parties must take all appropriate
measures “to ensure conservation and, where
necessary, restoration of ecosystems.” The
convention goes further to urge that “sustainable
water-resources management, including the
application of the ecosystems approach, is
promoted.”
Trio of basking turtles, pond in Paris, France. Photo credit: Emily
Thomas and Michael Martin.
At the bilateral and basin level a number of
more recent agreements recognise the need to
protect the long-term viability of transboundary
waters. Article 1 of the 1997 Russia-Estonia
Agreement sets the primary goal of the
agreement as being the “organization of
cooperation between the Parties in the field of
protection and sustainable use of transboundary
waters and their ecosystems.” The contracting
parties are to “co-operate with the aim to provide
ecologically sustainable management of the use
of water resources of transboundary waters and
their preservation in the interests of the
population and sustainable development.” More
specifically, the parties are obligated to:
• cooperate in the development of
norms, methods of assessment, and
classification of water quality
• adopt the necessary measures to
prevent and diminish discharge of
polluting substances
• establish effective sewage treatment
plants and water saving production
technologies
• guarantee the maintenance of
hydrotechnological and water
protection equipment
• desist from activities or inactivity that
may cause deterioration of
transboundary water bodies and their
ecosystems (among other requirements).
Under the 2002 Russia-Belarus Agreement,
the involved parties agreed to refrain from
actions or inactions that might result in the
deterioration of hydrological and hydro-chemical
regimes of transboundary waters. Similarly, under
the 1998 Rhine Convention contracting parties
agree to pursue the goal of sustainable
development of the Rhine River basin, which,
under Article 3, includes “ensuring an
ecologically sound and rational management of
water resources.” Following this obligation,
contracting parties have agreed to the following:
• discharge of wastewater is subject to
prior discharge consent
• the discharge of hazardous
substances is gradually reduced
• regulations will, as far as possible,
reduce the danger of pollution due to
48 — Hydropolitical Vulnerability and Resilience along International Waters: Europe