Public Participation
The ICPDR strives to improve and protect a high level of water quality, works towards sustainable development and floodrisk management in the Danube River Basin. This work started with the Danube River Protection Convention, but now also includes the EU Water Framework Directive and the EU Floods Directive.
In line with the objectives of these legal bodies, the ICPDR develops work programs for 6-year periods, a River Basin Management Plan and the Floodrisk Management Plan for the Danube River Basin.
These plans are the central work programs for the ICPDR. As such, they are developed with strong involvement of civil society and stakeholders from the beginning. This was done in 2009, in 2015 and is also currently being pursued.
The ICPDR engages in public participation through primarily two means: firstly, through the active involvement of observer organisations on the level of both expert group meetings and plenary meeting; and secondly, through activities that ensure a high level of public consultation in the development of the plans - such as stakeholder workshops, online surveys or public calls for the submission of comments on draft documents.
As civil society can be more meaningfully involved in the work of the ICPDR if representatives are well-informed about the objectives and structure of it, public information, educational initiatives and outreach activities support the public participation of the ICPDR. These include Danube Day, the Danube Box or the publication of the magazine Danube Watch.
An additional line of stakeholder involvement is the cooperation with the private sector. This line of activities is formalised through the "Business Friends of the Danube" initiative.
Downloads
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WFD & FD Public Participation Schedule 
Related
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In keeping with commitments to engaging the public, the ICPDR maintains close relationship with some 24 organisations – representing a variety of public interests – defined by the DRPC as “Observers”.
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Vienna, 17 Dec 2013. The ICPDR provides an interim overview on Significant Water Management Issues in the Danube River Basin District for the 2nd Danube River Basin Management Plan (2nd DRBMP) and invites the public to comment on this document until June 2014.
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Vienna, 19 Dec 2018. According to Art. 14 of the Water Framework Directive, public participation in drafting River Basin Management Plans needs to be ensured. The ICPDR now provides a blue print for Public Participation activities for the development of the third Danube River Basin Management Plan (3rd DRBMP) until 2021 and the second Danube River Basin Flood Risk Management Plan (2nd FRMP).
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For the development of the Danube River Basin Management Plan of 2009, the ICPDR offered several possibilities to stakeholders to contribute to the development of this important work program.
