Transboundary Water Cooperation in Europe

Götz Reichert, Dr. iur. (2003), is Head of the Department on Environment, Energy and Climate Change at the Center for European Policy, Germany. He has published a monograph and several book chapters and articles on international and European law on the protection and management of transboundary freshwater resources.

• Author BiographyA. IntroductionB. International Water Law in EuropeI. Early International Water Law in Europe: Failures, Lessons Learned and Successes1. Early Efforts: Conflict-driven Partial Approaches2. Paradigm Shift: Ecosystem-oriented Holistic Approacha) The 1986 Sandoz Spill: A Wake-up Callb) Towards Sustainability and Integrated ManagementII. Current International Water Law in Europe: Structure and Elements1. Regulatory Structure: Framework Conventions and Basin-specific Agreements2. Substantive Elements3. Managerial Elementsa) Information, Notification, Consultation and Negotiationb) Institutionalized Cooperation: International River CommissionsC. EU Water LawI. Normative Clout of EU Water Law1. Nature of EU Water Law2. Legislative Competences, Guiding Principles and the Subsidiarity Test3. Legislative Procedures4. Legislative Acts5. Implementation and Enforcement6. EU Participation in International Water ConventionsII. Early EU Water Law: An Ineffective PatchworkIII. Water Framework Directive (WFD)1. Regulatory Approach2. Substantive Elementsa) Regulatory Purposesb) Ecological Scopec) Environmental Objectives(1) Good Surface Water Status(2) Good Groundwater Status(3) Protected Areas(4) Legally Binding Force(5) Exemptionsd) Surface Water Pollution(1) Member State Measures: Combined Approach(2) EU Measures: Priority Substancese) Groundwater Pollutionf) Water Pricing3. Managerial Elementsa) River Basins and River Basin Districts (RBDs)b) Analysis and Monitoringc) Programme of Measuresd) River Basin Management Plans (RBMPs)e) Public Participationf) Common Implementation Strategy (CIS)IV. Flood Risk Directive (FRD)1. Regulatory Approach2. Preliminary Flood Risk Assessment3. Flood Hazard Maps and Flood Risk Maps4. Flood Risk Management Plans (FRMPs)5. Public Participation and Coordination with the WFDD. Integration of EU Water Law and International Water Law in EuropeI. The WFD’s Growing Influence on International Water Agreements in EuropeII. International River Basin Management PlansIII. International Flood Risk Management PlansIV. Intensity of Transboundary Water Cooperation in EuropeE. Conclusion and PerspectivesBibliography