News

The European Commission proposes to cut the use of chemical pesticides in half by 2030, one of the flagship legislative proposals to follow the Biodiversity and Farm to Fork Strategies. The new rules on chemical pesticides will reduce the environmental footprint of the EU's food system, protect the health and well-being of citizens and agricultural workers, and help mitigate the pesticide use-related economic losses.

As the climate crisis worsens, severe droughts devastate European landscapes. According to the data published by the European Drought Observatory, more than 60% of land in the European Union and United Kingdom – an area nearly the same size as India (!) – is now affected by drought conditions. The Danube River Basin and the Danube itself have been affected by serious droughts in the past, e.g., in 2003, 2015, and now again one of the most feared natural phenomenon has gripped much of the Danube River Basin.

Maribor, 24 September 2008. A “Declaration concerning common approaches to water management, flood protection, hydropower utilization and nature and biodiversity conservation in the Drava River Basin” was adopted by Participants at the “Drava River Vision Symposium” in Maribor, Slovenia.

Vienna, 13 October 2008. Two Slovak children have won the ‘International Danube Art Master 2008’ competition. The International Master is selected from the winners of the national ‘Danube Art Master’ competitions in 14 Danube Basin countries.

Vienna, 11 September 2008 – The Danube and its tributaries are becoming cleaner, the ICPDR announced today, presenting the scientific results of the Joint Danube Survey 2 (JDS2) - possibly the world’s biggest river research expedition ever.

Vienna, 11 March 2008 - The first-ever `Joint Statement on Guiding Principles for the Development of Inland Navigation and Environmental Protection in the Danube River Basin´ was launched today. The interdisciplinary process to create the Joint Statement was led by the ICPDR, the Danube Commission on Navigation and the International Commission for the Sava River Basin.

Vienna, 21 January 2008 – Serbia today took over the Presidency of the ICPDR for the year 2008. The handover was made during an official ceremony hosted by the outgoing Presidency, Romania, at the premises of the Permanent Mission of Romania in Vienna, Austria. The Minister for Environmental Protection of Serbia, Saša Dragin, will serve as ICPDR President and guide its activities in 2008.

Vienna, 9 November 2007 – Four Hungarian children have won the ‘International Danube Art Master 2007’ competition, announced Philip Welller, Executive Secretary of the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR) today. Mr. Weller made the announcement at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics together with Gyula Hollo, Head of the Hungarian Delegation to the ICPDR.

Belgrade, 11 October 2007 - The five ministers responsible for water management in Ukraine, Romania, Slovakia, Hungary and Serbia announced their support for actions protecting the Tisza River Basin from pollution, floods and drought. The announcement was made at a 14:00 press conference today during the second day of the Sixth ‘Environment for Europe Conference’ in Belgrade, Serbia.

Mississippi Basin, 1 August 2007. An ICPDR and ISRBC delegation has visited Mississippi River Commission