8.2 International Water Law in the European Union
87
recognised for its substantial contribution to the development of international water
law (Tanzi et al. 2015). Due to its compatible and complementary character vis-àvis the UN Watercourses Convention the Convention today represents one of the
foundational building blocks of transboundary water governance not only within the
European Union, but also on a global scale (McCaffrey 2016).
8.2.3 Basin Treaties Within the European Union
Most river basins in the EU are subject to formalised governance schemes. A 2012
survey, commissioned by the European Commission, identified only three international basins with no formal cooperation agreement in place: the Marica-Evros/Meric
between Greece, Bulgaria and Turkey, the Axios/Vardar between Greece, Macedonia, Serbia and the Adige/Etsch basin between Italy and Switzerland (WRc plc 2012).
All other transboundary watercourses and lakes are subject to at least one dedicated
treaty (see Fig. 8.1). The majority of such treaties also established river basin organisations or some kind of formal cooperation bodies (in the case of basins shared by
two states typically the frontier water commission).
As mentioned above, the most important European basin treaties include the
Danube Convention, the Rhine Convention, the Sava Framework Agreement, the
Conventions for the Elbe and the Oder rivers, the Meuse Agreement and the SpanishPortuguese Basins Convention (Albufeira Convention) (see Sect. 8.2.1).
8.2.3.1 The Danube Convention
18
The Danube is the second largest river of the European continent: its basin area covers
more than 800,000 km
2 or 10% of Europe’s surface. With 19 riparian countries, out
of which 14 has more than 2000 km
2 of the basin, it is considered as the world’s
most international river.
19
Formalised basin-wide cooperation over the Danube goes back to the mid-19th
century when, in 1856, the European Commission of the Danube was established to
oversee navigation (Boisson de Chazournes 2013). However, substantial basin-wide
cooperation on non-navigational uses started to take shape only in the mid1980s
amidst the quick erosion of the bipolar political system that cut the basin into two
(Kittinger 1997). Today’s framework instrument: the Convention on Cooperation for
practice model at the international level.” http://www.unece.org/?id=32154&type=111 (accessed
12 February 2019).
18 Although the Convention is commonly called as the Danube Protection or the Danube River
Protection Convention (to distinguish it from the Convention regarding the regime of navigation
on the Danube, Belgrade, 18 August 1948), for sake of brevity this study will refer to all basin
treaties by the name of the respective river only.
19 http://www.icpdr.org/main/danube-basin (accessed 12 February 2019).
87
recognised for its substantial contribution to the development of international water
law (Tanzi et al. 2015). Due to its compatible and complementary character vis-àvis the UN Watercourses Convention the Convention today represents one of the
foundational building blocks of transboundary water governance not only within the
European Union, but also on a global scale (McCaffrey 2016).
8.2.3 Basin Treaties Within the European Union
Most river basins in the EU are subject to formalised governance schemes. A 2012
survey, commissioned by the European Commission, identified only three international basins with no formal cooperation agreement in place: the Marica-Evros/Meric
between Greece, Bulgaria and Turkey, the Axios/Vardar between Greece, Macedonia, Serbia and the Adige/Etsch basin between Italy and Switzerland (WRc plc 2012).
All other transboundary watercourses and lakes are subject to at least one dedicated
treaty (see Fig. 8.1). The majority of such treaties also established river basin organisations or some kind of formal cooperation bodies (in the case of basins shared by
two states typically the frontier water commission).
As mentioned above, the most important European basin treaties include the
Danube Convention, the Rhine Convention, the Sava Framework Agreement, the
Conventions for the Elbe and the Oder rivers, the Meuse Agreement and the SpanishPortuguese Basins Convention (Albufeira Convention) (see Sect. 8.2.1).
8.2.3.1 The Danube Convention
18
The Danube is the second largest river of the European continent: its basin area covers
more than 800,000 km
2 or 10% of Europe’s surface. With 19 riparian countries, out
of which 14 has more than 2000 km
2 of the basin, it is considered as the world’s
most international river.
19
Formalised basin-wide cooperation over the Danube goes back to the mid-19th
century when, in 1856, the European Commission of the Danube was established to
oversee navigation (Boisson de Chazournes 2013). However, substantial basin-wide
cooperation on non-navigational uses started to take shape only in the mid1980s
amidst the quick erosion of the bipolar political system that cut the basin into two
(Kittinger 1997). Today’s framework instrument: the Convention on Cooperation for
practice model at the international level.” http://www.unece.org/?id=32154&type=111 (accessed
12 February 2019).
18 Although the Convention is commonly called as the Danube Protection or the Danube River
Protection Convention (to distinguish it from the Convention regarding the regime of navigation
on the Danube, Belgrade, 18 August 1948), for sake of brevity this study will refer to all basin
treaties by the name of the respective river only.
19 http://www.icpdr.org/main/danube-basin (accessed 12 February 2019).