INTERNATIONAL SAVA RIVER BASIN COMMISSION Almaty (KZ) 23-25 October 2007 SAVA RIVER BASIN COMMISSION Dragan Zeljko The Sava Commission Secretariat Deputy.

Almaty (KZ) 23-25 October 2007

INTERNATIONAL SAVA RIVER BASIN COMMISSION

SAVA RIVER BASINCOMMISSION

Dragan ZeljkoThe Sava Commission Secretariat Deputy Secretary for Integrated RBM and water planning

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Main characteristics of the Sava River Basin (1/2)Sava river length: 944,7 km*

Basin area:

97.713,2 km2**Mean discharge: 1564 m3/s***

* 586 km navigable before 90-ies

** 2nd Danube tributary (after Tisza) *** 1st Danube tributary (almost 25% of total

discharge)

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Main characteristics of the Sava River Basin (2/2)

Sava River BasinArea

Total Area Country share %

97.713,2 km2

Slovenia 11.734,8 km2 12,01

Croatia 25.373,5 km2 25,97

Bosnia and Herzegovina 38.349,10 km2 39,25

Serbia 15.147,0 km2 15,50

Montenegro 6.929,8 km2 7,09

Albania 179,0 km2 0,18

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Need for action• Prior to disintegration of former Yugoslavia, Sava was the biggest

national river with proper instruments for water management and it was navigable

• After the war Sava became an international river » Need for actionEconomic reasons: Commercial traffic cannot be reestablished without rehabilitation of

waterways, ports and other supporting infrastructure

Lack of institutional mechanisms for: addressing transboundary impacts causing serious environmental concerns

in the basin cooperation among the countries to rehabilitate, develop, and manage the

basin

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2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

From initiative to an agreement on cooperationEstablishment of the Int. Sava

River Basin Commission - ISRBC (Zagreb, June 27-29, 2005)

Launch of the Sava River Initiative Stability Pact for SEE (June 2001)

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

Signing the Letter of Intent on cooperation within the Sava River Basin (Nov. 29, 2001)

Signing the Framework Agreement on the Sava River Basin - FASRB (Kranjska Gora, Dec. 3, 2002)

Establishment of the Interim Sava River Commission (Brussels, March 12, 2003)

(7 sessions + 1 ad-hoc session held, with the administrative support of REC, CO Banja Luka)

Ratification of the Framework Agreement (FASRB)

(December 29, 2004)

Establishment of the ISRBC Secretariat(Zagreb, January 9, 2006)

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The PartiesThe Parties to the FASRB:• Slovenia• Croatia• B&H• Serbia*

* The Agreement signed by Serbia and Montenegro

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Negotiations• Started on March 12 2002• Led and chaired by Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe• Soon recognized that expert teams formed by the negotiating countries are

capable of drafting all legal norms alone => abandoned principle of agreeing of each step on the high level and

under supervision of the SP coordinators• The final text adopted by the state delegations without modifications• Huge interest and different contribution to the process by the IC: - UN ECE, OSCE, UNITAR - EU institutions - Governments of the USA, Netherlands, Hungary - NGOs

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The Framework agreement on the Sava RB (FASRB)new legal framework for regional cooperation and

developmentOBJECTIVES:• Establishment of an international regime of navigation on the Sava

River and its navigable tributaries;• Establishment of sustainable water management;• Undertaking of measures to prevent or limit hazards, and reduce

and eliminate adverse consequences(floods, ice hazards, droughts and incidents involving substances hazardous to water).

GENERAL PRINCIPLES:• Cooperation on the basis of soverein equality, territorial integrity,

mutual benefit, good faith• “no harm” rule - take all appropriate measures to prevent harm to

others

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The Framework agreement on the Sava RB (FASRB)

AREAS of cooperation:NAVIGATION:• Establishment of an international regime of navigation;• Marking of navigable waterways;• Development of technical rules;• Maintenance of the waterways• Establishment of sustainable water management;WATER MANAGEMENT:• Cooperation in integrated management of surface and ground

waters• Preparation of the Sava river basin management plan (following the EU WFD principles and coordinated with the ICPDR

activities)

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International Sava River Basin Commission (ISRBC)

• Established for the implementation of the FASRB;• 2 representatives from each state (member and deputy);• Rotating chairmanship every 3 year;• Regular sessions (1 per year) and special sessions;• Financing- annual contribution of the Parties;• Seat of the Sava Commission in Zagreb (Croatia);• Decisions shall be adopted by unanimous vote;• Decision in navigation binding to all Parties - Protocol;

• Secretariat: administrative and executive services for Commission

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Main tasks of the Sava CommissionCoordination: • in preparation of a joint / integrated Sava RB Management Plan• in establishment of an unified information system• of activities on protection of the aquatic eco-system of the Sava RB• of majority of activities in the fields of navigation and water

managementProposition: • of the Sava River Basin Management Plan• of priority projectsDecision making in the field of navigationCooperation with international and national organizationsIssuing documents and publications

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Structure of the Secretariat

NavigationIntegrated RBM

& Water Planning

Protection of Water & Aquat.

Ecosystem

Special Advisor for Econ. & Financ. Affairs

Special Advisor for Legal & General

Affairs

DeputySecretary

Advisor for Techn.

Issues of NavigationAdvisor for Navigation

SafetySpecial Advisor for

Information Systems

Advisor for Pro. Against Haz. Water

ImpactsAdvisor for Reg. and

Tech. Main. of Wat. Regime

Secretary

Advisor for Prot. of

Water & Aq. Ecosys.

DeputySecretary

DeputySecretary

PlannedCurrent

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Decision making process

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Permanent and ad hoc expert groupsPermanent expert groups (PEGs):• PEG for River basin management;• PEG for Navigation;• PEG for Accident prevention and control;• PEG for Flood prevention

Ad hoc expert groups currently established:• Legal EG;• GIS EG;• Hydrological isues related to navigation;• More to come...

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Protocols

• Additions to the FASRB for regulating specific issues

• Protocol on navigation in force!• Development of protocols on: - transboundary impacts - flood protection - emergency situations - prevention of the water polution caused by navigation

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International Sava River Basin CommissionNova Ves 1110 000 ZagrebCroatiaTel. +385 1 4886 960Fax. +385 1 4886 986E-mail: [email protected] [email protected]: www.savacommission.org

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.savacommission.org/

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Thank you for your attention!

INTERNATIONAL SAVA RIVER BASIN COMMISSION Almaty (KZ) 23-25 October 2007 SAVA RIVER BASIN COMMISSION Dragan Zeljko The Sava Commission Secretariat Deputy.

Documents