Doc. 10509

22 April 2005

Management of water resources in Europe

Recommendation 1668 (2004)

Reply from the Committee of Ministers

adopted at the 924th meeting of the Ministers’ Deputies (20 April 2005)

1.       The Committee of Ministers has considered with interest Parliamentary Assembly Recommendation 1668 (2004) on management of water resources in Europe and has communicated it to the governments of its member states. It has also forwarded it to the Committee for the Activities of the Council of Europe in the field of biological and landscape diversity (CO-DBP), to the Committee of Senior Officials of the European Conference of Ministers responsible for Regional Planning (CEMAT) and to the Committee of Permanent Correspondents of the Major Hazards Partial Agreement. Their opinions are reproduced in Appendices 1, 2 and 3 to this reply.

2.       The Committee of Ministers cannot but encourage its member states to develop scientific research programmes for improving knowledge of the status of water resources and consider water issues as priority.

3.       Regarding integrated action on water resources and management, the Secretariat will promote transversal work aimed at improved sustainable water management in Europe made up of the proposals in Recommendation 1668 (2004) subject to available resources. In 2005, the organisation of a European Water Week (Strasbourg, 17-21 October 2005) is foreseen. It will be co-organised with governmental institutions and civil society, in particular the World Water Council, Solidarity Water Europe and the Bas-Rhin regional authorities.

4.       During that week, the Council of Europe – with the help of different bodies, including the Parliamentary Assembly – will prepare a two-day seminar aimed at governments and local and regional authorities, dealing with subjects such as transfrontier cooperation in water management, public participation in water issues, promoting local action, etc. The aim of the European Water Week will be to contribute with ideas, projects and examples to be forwarded to the 4th World Water Forum (Mexico, March 2006).

5.       That Forum will provide guidance on water issues and propose a political agenda that may further the commitments of the 3rd World Water Forum and transform them into concrete action involving local actors. European Water Week will thus pave the way regionally for the 4th World Water Forum and provide a specific European input into the matters to be dealt with. It is intended to examine the outcome of the Forum with a view to participating actively in international efforts to take forward the water management agenda and continue Council of Europe involvement in that important issue.

6.       As regards the proposal of the Assembly concerning the EUR-OPA Major Hazards Partial Agreement, its Committee of Permanent Correspondents is ready to implement the following initiatives:

-        conducting studies to highlight the importance of an interdisciplinary and interdepartmental approach to the management of water-related hazards (flooding, drought);

-        mobilising the scientific community to play its part in this key area through the possible organisation of a conference to take stock of the state of know-how and the contribution of researchers.

7.        As for the work of the Committee of Senior Officials of the CEMAT, the Committee of Ministers would like to recall Recommendation Rec(2002)1 of the Committee of Ministers on the Guiding Principles for Sustainable Spatial Development of the European Continent and the Ljubljana Declaration on the territorial dimension of sustainable development adopted by the 13th CEMAT in 2003. The integrated strategies for water management are specifically mentioned under point 6 (39) of the chapter “Principles of a planning policy for sustainable development in Europe” of the Guiding Principles. The question of natural hazards, namely floods and drought, are mentioned in the Ljubljana Declaration.

8.       The theme of the next CEMAT (Portugal, 2006) will be “Networks for sustainable territorial development of the European Continent”. The implementation of the 13th CEMAT’s Resolution No. 2 on the training of authorities responsible for sustainable spatial development will be discussed. The Committee of Senior Officials is willing to introduce the theme of water management in its activities.

9.       This being said, the management of water resources does not take the central place in the work of the Council of Europe.

Appendix 1 to the reply

Opinion of the Bureau of the Committee responsible for the activities of the Council of Europe in the field of Biological and Landscape Diversity (CO-DBP) on Parliamentary Assembly Recommendation 1668 (2004) on management of water resources in Europe

In response to the request of the Committee of Ministers, the Bureau of the CO-DBP, following consideration of Recommendation 1668 (2004) of the Parliamentary Assembly, submits the following comment:

The Bureau of the CO-DBP:

Notes with great interest the Parliamentary Assembly’s concern about the management of water resources in Europe;

Recalls the commitments of the Council of Europe to work towards the Millennium Declaration goals and those of the Johannesburg World Summit for Sustainable Development;

Recalls the principles laid down in the European Charter on Water Resources, adopted by the Committee of Ministers on 17 October 2001 and replacing the 1968 European Water Charter;

Recalls the importance of the European Union’s Water Framework Directive for water management;

Recalls the International Year of Freshwater in 2003, proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in recognition of the central importance of water resources;

Recalls the need of cooperation between the administrations, and between the private sector and the public authorities, to manage the water resources in the perspective of sustainable development;

Supports the integrated water management as a fundamental prerequisite for sustainable development and for the future of our planet;

In conclusion, the CO-DBP:

-       agrees with the Parliamentary Assembly recommendations aimed at encouraging member states to:

-       endorses the Parliamentary Assembly’s proposal to launch a “EURO-WATER” integrated project for sustainable water management in Europe, aiming at assisting member states in the implementation of water policies and also in the development of practical tools for the different actors concerned.

Appendix 2 to the reply

Opinion of the Committee of Senior Officials of the European Conference of Ministers responsible for Regional/Spatial Planning (CSO-CEMAT) on Parliamentary Assembly Recommendation 1668 (2004) on management of water resources in Europe

The Committee of Senior Officials of the CEMAT would like to thank the Committee of Ministers for consulting it in order to have possible comments about Recommendation 1668 (2004) of the Parliamentary Assembly on Management of Water Resources in Europe, thus recognising the importance of sustainable territorial development for the management of water resources.

The Committee of Senior Officials of the CEMAT is committed to the implementation of Recommendation Rec(2002)1 of the Committee of Ministers on the Guiding Principles for Sustainable Spatial Development of the European Continent (GPSSDEC-CEMAT), and of the Ljubljana Declaration on the territorial dimension of sustainable development, approved by the Ministers at the 13th CEMAT in Ljubljana, in 2003.

The integrated strategies for water management are specifically mentioned under point 6 (39) of the chapter “Principles of a planning policy for sustainable development in Europe”, of the Guiding Principles mentioned above and the question of natural hazards, namely floods and drought, are mentioned in the Ljubljana Declaration.

For this reason the Committee of Senior Officials of the CEMAT welcomes Recommendation 1668 (2004) of the Parliamentary Assembly and offers the following suggestions of amendment:

Paragraph 6 – Besides simply encouraging cooperation, we propose mentioning that “cooperation be encouraged and established through the creation and implementation of partnerships” (in accordance with Resolution No. 1 on public-private partnerships in spatial development policy, adopted by the Ministers at the 13th CEMAT in Ljubljana, in 2003).

Paragraph 9 – We suggest the following amendment “… for water management by defining the river basin as the management and planning unit …”;

In relation to “… and, respecting the subsidiarity principle, by giving local and regional authorities wide-ranging responsibilities in the management of water resources, in accordance with the administrative organisation of the member states”.

Taking into consideration that the theme of the next CEMAT organised in Portugal in 2006 will be “Networks for sustainable territorial development of the European Continent”, and that, under the work programme of the Committee of Senior Officials, the implementation of the 13th CEMAT’s Resolution No. 2 on the training of authorities responsible for sustainable spatial development is being considered, the Committee of Senior Officials is willing to cooperate in the implementation of this Recommendation by introducing the theme of water management in its activities and also to cooperate in the proposals under paragraph 13.

Appendix 3 to the reply

Opinion of the Committee of Permanent Correspondents of the Council of Europe’s EUR-OPA Major Hazards Agreement on Parliamentary Assembly Recommendation 1668 (2004) on management of water resources in Europe

At the request of the Committee of Ministers and following consideration of Parliamentary Assembly Recommendation 1668 (2004), the Committee of Permanent Correspondents of the EUR-OPA Major Hazards Agreement submits the opinion below:

The Committee of Permanent Correspondents of the EUR-OPA Major Hazards Agreement:

Considering that:

I.       Disasters related to water resources are very likely to increase both in frequency and in intensity in the near future because of:

II. Sustainable development does not really make sense unless account is taken of the vulnerability of populations to natural hazards and, in particular, those related to poor management of water resources.

The Committee of Permanent Correspondents of the EUR-OPA Major Hazards Agreement accordingly supports the Parliamentary Assembly’s recommendations that member states should be encouraged to:

The Committee of Permanent Correspondents proposes the following initiatives under the Organisation’s Programme of Activities: