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13 Recommendations
beyond the feeble quasi mediation procedure under the Water Framework Directive,
without affecting the judicial monopoly of the European Court of Justice. Relevant
examples in and outside the EU include mediation, fact finding commissions, compliance mechanism, mutual evaluation, etc.
strengthen the effectiveness of the existing co-riparian cooperation mechanisms:
the experience of the first two planning cycles of the Water Framework Directive
leaves room for significant improvement. This may include the development of
guidance materials or procedural recommendations on member state cooperation,
enhanced supervision by the European Commission, strengthening the role of basin
commissions, etc. With improved cooperation many of the looming hydropolitical
challenges could be resolved or mitigated before they turn into interstate disputes;
strengthen cooperation among the different levels and actors of transboundary
water governance: the currently suboptimal interplay among the various layers and
actors of transboundary water governance in the EU could and should be significantly improved through enhanced collaboration. These do not require additional
legislative measure or resources, only vision and political will. Most important in
this context would be the more active collaboration of the European Commission
and the Secretariat of the UNECE Water Convention. The European Commission
could also play a more active role at basin level, making use of the diversity of its
powers and its multifaceted relationship with member states.