Danube conference in Vienna/Bratislava 19-21 April 2010
Workshop 4 "Biodiversity – economic pressures, ecological
aspirations"
Moderator:
Mr. Georges Kremlis, DG Environment
Key note speaker:
Mr Harald Egerer, Carpathian Convention Programme UNEP Vienna
Key note speaker:
Mr Dejan Komatina, International Sava River Basin Commission
Key note speaker:
Mrs Meglena Plugtschieva, National Assembly of Bulgaria – "Lower
Danube Green Corridor" Project
Rapporteur:
Simona Pohlová, programme manager for territorial cooperation, DG
Regional Policy
The aim of the workshop was to introduce the issue of biodiversity not only as a value as such, but also in
terms of how it can be integrated to other issues, such as transport or socioeconomic development.
1. Work in the Carpathians
Mr Harald Egerer introduced the work being done for the Carpathian region. Carpathians are the largest
mountain range in Europe. 12 million people live there. Carpathian range stretches to 7 countries, 5 of
them being EU Member States (Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria).
As a border area Carpathian were marginalized in the past. Economically, this area is very poor, but it has
managed to safeguard big biodiversity and preserved nature. A comparison to Alpine range was made in
this respect. Alps have been through the similar development, previously being poor regions, but now one
they belong to the richest parts of Europe. Lessons can be learnt from the Alpine space development to
the one in the Carpathians.
Building block for the development of the Carpathians
Carpathian Convention, adopted in 2003, tries to integrate environmental and socioeconomic goals. It is
an existing transnational multilevel governance tool, where governments, regions and NGOs work
together towards a sustainable development and environmental protection of the Carpathians.
Identified potential flagship projects to be included into the EU Strategy for the Danube Region:

EU CADSES Carpathian Project – main aim of the project: to use the unique natural assets
as a force to develop the Carpathian region

Alpine Carpathian Corridor Project,

BIOREGIO Carpathians
There was a recommendation to include a specific chapter about the Carpathian Space in the
Strategy – and namely the need to address the Carpathians in their integrity (holistic, integrated
approach confirmed and appreciated).
Extracts from the debate:

strong need for capacity building in the administrations, local communities

need for smart spatial planning – marring the needs for development and nature protection at
the same time

very important tools: certification of wood and others – need to be further developed
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2. Sava River Commission work
Sava is a very important sub- basin of the Danube, it is the richest water tributary to the Danube river.
Sava river used to be the biggest national river (of the former Yougoslavia). Now the river flows
through 4 individual countries – there was the need to re-establish the integrated management of the
Sava water resources.
Mr Dejan Komatina presented the work of the Sava River Commission, seated in Zagreb, found
2005. The aims of the Commissions are balancing economic needs and ecological interests and promote
the transboundary cooperation for sustainable development of the region.
Sava Commission has the broadest scope for action among the Commissions in the Danube Region.
Both water protection and navigability interests are being tackled and discussed by the Commission.
This integrated approach within one institution complies well with the overall objective of the Strategy.
Although the contracting parties of the Sava Commission are not Member States, they all have
committed to follow the EU environmental protection legislation.
Identified potential actions/flagship projects to be included into the EU Strategy for the Danube
Region:

Sava River Basin Management Plan - it will be finalized by the end of next year, it supported
by the EU funding. It will be in line with the DRBMP.

flood forecasting and warning, rehabilitation and development of navigability on the Sava – e.g.
demining of the river bed…. development of tourism, including nautical tourism
Extracts from the debate:

there are plans to build dams on the upper Sava and its tributaries

there is the aim to increase the degree of navigation of the Sava for both passengers and cargo,
with the aim to reach the status before the Yugoslav wars (the plan is to develop the waterway
to class V A, of the same kind of transport as exists in the upper parts of the Danube in Austria)
Presentation of a potential flagship project for the EU Strategy for the Danube Region:
3. Ms Plugtschieva, Lower Danube Green Corridor Project (LDGC)
This is a major European project for wetland conservation and restoration. Its ambition is to protect 1,2
million hectars of the wetlands and to restore a major Lower Danube wetland area, as well as to develop
the region in a sustainable manner.
The agreement to establish the Lower Danube Green Corridor was signed in June 2000 by Bulgaria,
Romania, Ukraine and Moldova (Ministers of Environment). The work on the project is based on interinstitutional cooperation, protection of species in risk, raising the public awareness and sensitivity.
Achievements of the project - examples:

Strategy for the protection and restoration of floodplain forests on the Bulgarian Danube
Islands - established cooperation of the signing countries, recognize the role of the civil
society and established cooperation with them, restored floodplains, established protected areas
(at least 770 hectars).

Action plan for the implementation of the LDGC in Bulgaria: 2003-2008 – development
and implementation of management plans for different protected areas in Bulgaria + restoration
of wetlands and floodplain habitat, institutional capacity building, public awareness raising

development and implementation of the management plans for different protected areas, ecoculture, reduced pollution, biodiversity improvement, demonstration value, establishment of
further cross border cooperation, establishment of new Euroregions, establishement of the
Association of eco-tourism, improved fish resources, establishment of small business related to
bio-mass processing and fish processing, eco-tourism establishment.
Extracts from the debate:
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
another project which has a potential to become flagship for the Strategy: Danube Parks –
transnational network of protected areas around the Danube River

WWF will try to do marketing for the Drava Biosphere corridor and Southern Carpathian
stretch as a "Yosemity" of the Danube Region

It appears very useful to develop a Joint Statement of Guiding Principles (existing currently for
navigation and protection of the Danube river) for the use of hydropower energy as well, in
order to find a correct balance between the protection of the river environment and the energy
generation interests. In the water ecosystems, everything is related – hydropower in the middle
Danube is damaging the Danube Delta on the lower stretch of the river.
Conclusions from the worskhop

biodiversity will remain an important element of the EU and EU Strategy for the Danube
Region

there are several initiatives aiming at marring the ecological and economical interests
undertaken in the region that can be used as building blocks for the EU SDR and be further
strengthened and promoted in the framework of the Strategy – both in terms of actions and
examples of flagship projects

the integrated approach is confirmed as being the most effective way how to find solutions for
the sustainable development

there is a need for full implementation of the EU legislation in the area of environment and
nature protection

all possible financial means should be used and synergies among them have to be looked for –
LIFE programme, agricultural funds, Structural Funds, national and regional funding.
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