News

The ICPDR is excited to announce the launch of our digital newsletter, "Danube Watch", marking a new era in our ongoing commitment to the Danube River Basin. This newsletter, scheduled to reach your inbox up to four times a year, is your portal to the latest stories and updates from the vibrant world of the Danube.

The project involves 15 partners from 8 countries and aims to restore and conserve 34 islands from Germany to Romania. With the support of the EU Commission, the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River, and the Ramsar Convention, the LIFE WILDisland project is set to become a great example of transboundary cooperation.

The official website of the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River, www.icpdr.org, has undergone a complete makeover. Over the years, our website has grown in content, making navigation increasingly challenging. Our new design not only enhances accessibility through intuitive navigation but also adheres to cutting-edge usability standards.

The project aims to restore the Danube River Basin for ecosystems and people, an EU ‘Lighthouse Initiative’ supporting the Mission to “Restore our ocean and waters by 2030."Launched in January 2023, DANUBE4all is a 5-year EU "Lighthouse Initiative" project funded by Horizon Europe, aiming to restore freshwater ecosystems in the Danube River Basin.

The Danube Declaration 2022, the result of the 4th ICPDR Ministerial Meeting, presents a comprehensive overview of crucial initiatives and goals for the region. To make the Declaration more accessible to the general public, the ICPDR's Public Participation Expert Group has condensed its content into a concise summary. The outcome is a 3-page brochure that summarizes the main messages and implications of the Declaration in an easy-to-understand format.

The 2021 Annual Report provides detailed insight into an eventful year for the ICPDR– from the updates of the two Management plans and the return of in-person Danube Day events to the completion of the fourth Joint Danube Survey (JDS4). The 2021 Annual Report depicts this broad spectrum of ICPDR activities. It illustrates the ICPDRʼs ever-broadening commitment as needed by the multi-faceted nature of the Danube River itself.

Following the publication of the ICPDR's Danube River Basin Management Plan (DRBMP) & Danube Flood Risk Management Plan (DFRMP) Update 2021, and their endorsement at the 4th Danube Ministerial Meeting, these important publications have been given a new and fresh look and summarised into two brochures.

Vienna, 21 December 2021. Prioritising water management issues for the Danube River Basin until 2027, the ICPDR has adopted the Danube River Basin Management Plan (DRBMP) Update 2021 together with the Danube Flood Risk Management Plan (DFRMP) Update 2021.

Vienna, 20 Dec 2019. The ICPDR provides an interim overview on Significant Water Management Issues (SWMIs) in the Danube River Basin District for the 3rd Danube River Basin Management Plan (3rd DRBMP) and invites the public to comment on this document until June 2020.

A fitness check of the Water Framework Directive, its associated Directives, and the Floods Directive concludes that they are overall fit for purpose, with some room for enhanced effectiveness.