News & Media

VIENNA, 16 December 2025 – The International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR) proudly announced the winners of the 2025 Danube Art Master competition during its 28th Ordinary Meeting, held 11-12 December at the Vienna International Centre.

VIENNA, 11 December (Diplomatic Academy of Vienna) – Ukraine will take over the Presidency of the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR) in January 2026. Mariia Shpanchyk, Head of the Department of Water Management at the State Agency of Water Resources of Ukraine, will serve as its new President for one year. The annual transition in leadership reflects the ICPDR’s ongoing dedication to successful transboundary water management.

The ICPDR is pleased to share a first glimpse into the microbiological findings emerging from the Joint Danube Survey 5 (JDS5) — the world’s largest river basin monitoring programme carried out on a single river system. While full results will only be available once all samples from the 108 sampling sites have been analysed, early data from the microbiology component show encouraging trends across the entire Danube Basin.

VIENNA, 29 June – A range of events and activities are taking place in the 14 Danube River Basin countries to mark the 2022 Danube Day. Due to the easing of many COVID-19 restrictions, the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR) is delighted that they can celebrate the day with activities to #DiscoverDanube again this year.

The new Bathing Water Report published at the beginning of June by the European Environment Agency (EEA) and the European Commission (EC) reveals that the quality of Europe’s bathing waters has improved dramatically in recent decades. According to European Union standards that classify the waters as “excellent”, “good”, “sufficient” or “poor”, almost 85% of the European bathing sites now ranks as “excellent”.

Vienna, 12 December 2018 - This morning WWF presented a Gift to the Earth, its highest award, to the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR) at a ceremony at the UN in Vienna.

The signing of the grant agreement between the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR) and DG REGIO will enable a feasibility study that aims to identify ways forward to preserve of fish stocks at the Romanian-Serbian border. This action is an important step in the ongoing efforts to achieve a central objective of the EU Strategy for the Danube River: saving the Danube sturgeons from extinction. Despite its longevity, this “dinosaur fish” is considered one of the most endangered species in the world.

VIENNA, 29 October 2018 (Press Release) - The winner of the ‘International Danube Art Master 2018’ competition is 17-year-old Ion Zatic of Moldova, announced Susanne Brandstetter, Chairperson of the Public Participation Expert Group of the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR). The Public Participation Expert Group is responsible for promoting the Danube Art Master initiative in the Danube River Basin. The second and third winners are Austria followed by Serbia.

Budapest, 2 October 2018 (Press Release) - DANUBE FLOODPLAIN project kick-off meeting sets the stage for 30 months of intense transnational cooperation across the Danube river basin.

Vienna, 28 October 2018 (Press Release) - Ten countries along the Danube (Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Slovenia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria and Ukraine) join forces in an EU-funded project to conserve endangered migratory fish species in the Danube river basin by identifying and improving access to habitats and promoting the establishment of ecological corridors.