Informal Meeting of EU Water and Marine Directors · Mihail Kogălniceanu/Bucharest Airport or to Tulcea for the working visit in Danube Delta. At 19.00, participants transferred

Informal Meeting of EU Water and Marine Directors

13-14 June 2019

Constanta, Romania

15 June 2019 Tulcea, Romania

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GENERAL INFORMATION

The meeting of the Water and Marine Directors of EU Member States will take place in Constanta

from 13-14 June 2019 and will be organized by Romania as the Member State holding the

Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

On June 12, at 20.00, participants are invited to attend the cocktail offered by the General Director

on Waters, Ministry of Waters and Forests.

On June 13, the meeting will start at 09.00 with registration of the participants and will take

place at Ibis Hotel, Tisa Hall (39B-41, Mircea cel Bătrân Boulevard).

There is limited participation per country:

- 1 head of delegation plus 1 delegate per Marine issue;

- 1 head of delegation plus 1 delegate per Water issue;

- 2 delegates for EFTA Countries;

- 1 delegate for Candidate Countries;

- 1 delegate for Regional Sea Conventions.

The first session will be mainly focused on current MSFD CIS activities and discussion on MSFD

implementation beyond 2020 and on assessment report on the implementation of the Marine

Strategy Framework Directive drawn up by the European Commission according to art. 20. This

session will be followed by a lunch to which all participants are invited.

The second session, the joint part of the marine and water directors meeting, will be dedicated to

presentations and discussions on initiatives and projects on plastics/micro plastics from the rivers

to the seas and on good practices in implementation of both directives (WFD and MSFD).

A family photo will be taken during the coffee break between 15.30 and 16.00.

At 19.00, all participants will be transferred to the festive dinner hosted by the General Director

on Waters, Ministry of Waters and Forests. The dinner is scheduled to end around 23.00.

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The meeting will continue next day, on June 14, at 9.00 with the water part focusing on WFD CIS

progress, the European Commission Report on the implementation of the Water Framework

Directive and the Floods Directive, and on the review of EU water legislation.

At 13.00, participants are invited at lunch, organized by the Ministry of Waters and Forests.

The programme is scheduled to end at approx. 14.30. Participants will be transferred to the

Mihail Kogălniceanu/Bucharest Airport or to Tulcea for the working visit in Danube Delta.

At 19.00, participants transferred and accommodated in Tulcea are invited to the welcome

cocktail, offered by the Tulcea County Council.

On June 15, in the margins of this meeting, a working visit (by boat, including lunch) to the Danube

Delta, Tulcea County is envisaged to take place. At 9.00, the Danube Delta working visit, offered

by the Tulcea County Council and the National Administration Romanian Waters, is scheduled to

begin. The visit will end at approx. 16.00.

Between 16.30 – 18.30/20.30, the participants will be transferred to Mihail Kogălniceanu/

Bucharest Airport.

During the morning of 16th June, transfer of the remaining participants to Mihail Kogălniceanu/

Bucharest Airport will be as well available.

The language regime for the meeting will be English and Romanian.

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VENUE

On Thursday, June 13 and on Friday, June 14, the meeting will be held in Constanta, Romania, at

Ibis Hotel, Tisa Hall (39B-41, Mircea cel Bătrân Boulevard).

On the 15th of June, we propose a working visit to Danube Delta, Tulcea County.

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FORMAT AND ACCREDITATION

There is limited participation per country:

- 1 head of delegation plus 1 delegate per Marine issue;

- 1 head of delegation plus 1 delegate per Water issue;

- 2 delegates for EFTA Countries;

- 1 delegate for Candidate Countries;

- 1 delegate for Regional Sea Conventions.

Delegates are kindly requested to register via the accreditation system of the Romanian

Presidency of the Council of the European Union at the following link:

https://accreditation.romania2019.eu/events/inv/KJKzlp3mObyPZ2Nv1k0na7xrAZ7XLqV64MgBA

QwYj5eDEodW8R

Delegations are invited to register well in advance. Registration and accreditation are mandatory

for all participants. Online accreditation will remain open until 3rd of June 2019.

Delegates are invited to confirm/decline their participation to the working visit in Danube Delta

until 3rd of June 2019, via e-mail, at the following address: [email protected].

All personal information provided during accreditation will be processed in accordance with the

EU General Data Protection Regulation.

BADGES

All delegates will receive nominal badges. The badges will be issued only to individuals who have

successfully completed the registration procedure and received accreditation. The badges are

non-transferable and delegates are requested to wear them visibly at all times. The secretariat of

the conference will hand over the badges to the delegations upon arrival at the venue.

Please note that for security reasons, delegates will only be admitted into the meeting upon

presentation of a valid badge. Please report immediately the loss of a badge to the person

responsible for accreditation process ([email protected]).

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ARRIVALS AND DEPARTURES

Delegations arriving by plane are advised to indicate their flight details, as well as arrival and

departure times, in the accreditation system. All delegates will be welcomed at the airport

(Bucharest or Constanta) and will be transferred to the venue.

Delegations arriving by car are requested to communicate the respective border crossing points,

as well as the estimated date and time of border crossing points (arrival and departure) in the

accreditation system.

TRANSPORTATION

Delegates are expected to arrange and cover the flight to and from Romania by themselves. The

Presidency recommends the delegates to book flights that land/depart either in Bucharest or

Constanta airports. Please note that the number of seats in each flight is limited, therefore we

highly recommend to book your flight as soon as possible.

After landing, the transfer from Bucharest or Constanta Airports to Constanta will be provided by

the Presidency.

The distance from the International Airport Henri Coandă Otopeni, Bucharest to the venue, Hotel

Ibis Constanta is 240 km (approx. 2,5 hours by car).

The distance from the Mihail Kogălniceanu Airoport to the venue, Hotel Ibis Constanta is 30 km

(approx. 0,5 hours by car).

ACCOMODATIONS

Please note that all participants are expected to cover accommodations for themselves. Rooms

for all participants have been provisionally booked at special rates at the Hotel Ibis Constanta (3*),

Hotel Carol Constanta (4*), Hotel Ferdinand Constanta (3*) – for Constanta County, Hotel Delta

Tulcea (4* or 3*) and Hotel Egreta Tulcea (3*) – for Tulcea County. We kindly advise you to book

your accommodation in the Ibis Constanta Hotel, the location of the meeting in Constanta.

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The deadline for your reservations is 31 May 2019. The contact person in charge of hotel

accommodation is Mr. Dragoș Mușuroi (phone no.: +40 744 333 096, e-mail address:

[email protected], [email protected]).

Please find below, details of the recommended hotels in Constanta and Tulcea.

1. Ibis Constanta 3*

Hotel Ibis Constanta is located only 50 m

from the sea and 300 m from the old town

of Constanta. It offers air-conditioned

rooms with free Wi-Fi internet access. All

units are air conditioned and fitted with

cable TV and a private bathroom with a

shower and free toiletries. The Tisa Hall is

located in the hotel.

2. Hotel Carol 4*

Hotel Carol is housed in a historical building in

the centre of Constanta close to the Museum of

Art. It offers spacious and elegant rooms with

free Wi-Fi internet access.

Hotel Carol features a fitness room, a hot tub,

and a sauna.

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3. Hotel Ferdinand 3*

Located in downtown Constanta, Hotel

Ferdinand offers air-conditioned rooms with

free internet access and a balcony, just 100 m

from Modern Beach. Free private parking is

available on site.

All rooms are equipped with a minibar, a TV,

and a telephone.

4. Hotel Delta Tulcea 4*

Located on the promenade of the Danube, in

the centre of Tulcea, Hotel Delta 4 offers free

access to an indoor swimming pool, to a spa,

a wellness centre with a sauna, a hot tub and

a fitness centre.

The rooms of the hotel offer free Wi-Fi, and

have air conditioning. A marble bathroom is

featured.

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5. Hotel Delta Tulcea 3*

Situated on the Danube shore of Tulcea, the

Hotel Delta 3 provides superbly equipped

rooms with views over the port where

cruise boats take off to the Delta.

The rooms of the hotel offer free Wi-Fi, and

have air conditioning.

6. Hotel Egreta Tulcea 3*

Set in the historical centre of Tulcea, Hotel

Egreta is 200 m away from the Danube

riverbank and 250 m from the city hall. It

offers free Wi-Fi accommodation.

It offers rooms and suites with air

conditioning and cable TV. The tiled private

bathrooms are equipped with a bathtub or

a shower and a hairdryer.

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FIELD TRIP

On the 15th of June we propose a working visit (by boat, including lunch) offered by the Tulcea

County Council and the National Administration Romanian Waters, to Danube Delta.

The Danube Delta is the second largest river delta in Europe, after the Volga Delta, and is the best

preserved on the continent. The greater part of the Danube Delta lies in Romania (Tulcea County).

Its approximate surface area is 4,152 km2 (1,603 sq mi), of which 3,446 km2 (1,331 sq mi) is in

Romania. With the lagoons of Razim–Sinoe, located south of the main delta, the total area of the

Danube Delta is 5,165 km2 (1,994 sq mi). The Razim–Sinoe lagoon complex is geologically and

ecologically related to the delta proper and the combined territory is listed as a World Heritage Site.

Delta has an amazing biodiversity, almost 5,500 species, of which 1,839 plants. The vegetation of

the Danube Delta is predominantly specific to wetlands, 78% being reed, sedge, rush, pepper,

dwarf willow. It is worth mentioning that the Delta has the largest compact reed area in the world

with an area of 1 750 km². On the river banks, the most common species are trees and shrubs,

white poplar, black poplar, sea buckthorn, blackberries, etc.

On the edge of the canals we can meet a variety of white or yellow water lilies, which are

spectacular during the flowering period between June and September. Also, in the reserve area

are two carnivorous plants, aldrovanda and pond poison.

A special place in the flora of the Delta occupies the Letea Forest, one of the oldest nature reserves

in Romania and the northern subtropical forest in the world. The scenery here is a special one, where

the forest clusters alternate with the sand dunes once formed on the seabed. Oaks predominate,

some of them over 300 years old. More than 10 species of orchids can be found in the woods, but

also a creeping species that can reach up to 25m. You will also find here wild horses.

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OTHER USEFUL INFORMATION

Currency: RON (1 Euro = 4.80 RON)

Local Time: Eastern European Time (EET), which is GMT + 2 hour

Electricity: 220 Volt AC. Plugs and sockets according to the European norm.

Smoking: Is prohibited in indoor public areas.

Important Telephone Numbers:

- European emergency number: 112

- Dialling Codes in Romania: +40

The Romanian EU-Presidency website https://www.romania2019.eu contains information on all

topics related to the Romanian EU-Presidency.

For further information and emergency issues on the spot, please contact:

- Mr. Mihail Costache

(technical support as agenda, information about the meeting, accreditation process)

- phone no.: +40723978060

- e-mail address: [email protected]

- Mrs. Roxana Nicolau

(working visit in Danube Delta confirmation)

- phone no.: +40721287998

- e-mail address: [email protected]

- Mrs. Carla Mihaela Ganea

(protocol and organizational issues)

- phone no.: +40745093205

- e-mail address: [email protected]