Ιmplementing the Water
Convention: country experience
from Greece
Alexandros Kolliopoulos
Legal Counsellor,
Legal Department
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Greece
Profile
• Greece : principally downstream (Evros, Nestos, Strymonas,
Axios rivers) but also upstream country (Aoos river)
• Three international lakes : Prespa Lakes and Doirani Lake
• Greece Party to the Water Convention, the 1997
Watercourses Convention and EU Member State
implementing both the 2000/60 Water Framework Directive
and the 2007/60 Floods Directive
• Four co-riparian countries : One EU Member State, three
non-EU Member States
• Four co-riparian countries : Three Parties to the Water
Convention, one non-Party to the Water Convention
Reasons for being an active Party to
the Water Convention
• Greece has a long tradition in transboundary water cooperation.
The requirements of the Water Convention induce Greece and its
co-riparians to improve their cooperation.
• Exchange of data and information on the qualitative and
quantitative status of the transboundary waters, as provided in
article 13 of the Water Convention, is a prerequisite for the drafting
of management plans for the respective river basins
• The production of common or coordinated RBMPs requires bona
fide cooperation with the riparian countries based on the principles
of the Water Convention, in particular its articles 2 par. 6 and 9.
• The importance of compliance by all the riparian Parties with the
standards of article 3 of the Water Convention for achieving good
quality water status.
The Aoos/Vjosa River
(Greece-Albania)
• 270 Km long, of which 70 Km in Greece (upstream
country)
• Very good water quality and quantity status
• Agreement Greece/Albania of 3 April 2003 :
establishment of a Permanent Greek-Albanian
Commission on Transboundary Freshwater Issues
• Tasks similar to those provided in article 9 of the Water
Convention : setting joint water-quality objectives and
criteria, forum for exchange of information on existing
and planned uses, exchange of data
• Focus of bilateral cooperation on the compilation of
RBMPs and exchange of relevant information
The Prespa Lakes
(Greece-Albania-The former Yugoslav
Republic of Macedonia)
• Two lakes separated by a narrow strip of land; exceptionally rich
biodiversity supported by the lake’s ecosystem
• Creation of the Prespa Park through the 2000 declaration of the three
Prime Ministers (Greece, Albania, the former Yugoslav Republic of
Macedonia) and establishment of the Prespa Park Coordination
Committee
• 2010 Agreement between the three countries as well as the EU on the
Protection and Sustainable Development of the Prespa Park Area :
priority issue the water management at the basin level.
• Once in force, the following mechanisms of cooperation shall be
established : Ministerial High-level Segment, Prespa Park Management
Committee, Secretariat.
Axios/Vardar River and
Doiriani/Dojran Lake (Greece-The
former Yugoslav Republic of
Macedonia)
• Axios River : 389Km length, of which 87 Km in Greecepressure on waters in terms of quality and quantity from
agriculture
• Lake Doirani : quantity decrease in the ‘90s
• Bilateral cooperation stemming from the Agreement of 1959
• Recent Ad Hoc meetings in 2014, 2015
• Cooperation on exchange of information, secure financing for
coordinated RBMPs, definition of parameters to be monitored
Strymonas/Struma and Nestos/Mesta
Rivers
•
•
•
•
•
Strymonas River : 400Km length, of which 110 in Greece-The kerkini Reservoir is
a Ramsar site-solid waste is an important pressure factor
Nestos River : 51% of the river basin in Greece, 49,9% in Bulgaria – The Nestos
Delta is a Ramsar site
Agreement of 1963 for Strymonas, Nestos and Evros river and Protocol of 1971
establishing a joint body : obligation of each Party not to cause significant
damage to the other arising from the construction of projects and installations
Agreement of 1995 for the Nestos River : obligation of Bulgaria to deliver to
Greece 29% of the average run-off of the river generated in the bulgarian
territory
Joint ministerial declaration of 2010 and creation of a Joint Expert Working
Group to enhance cooperation through exchange of information and data,
coordinate RBMPs and flood risk management plans and establish early warning
systems for floods.
Evros/Maritsa/Meric River
(Greece-Bulgaria-Turkey)
• 500 Km long, part of it forms the land boundary between Greece and
Turkey - Major tributaries : Arda, Erithropotamos, Tunza, Ergine Βiggest part of the delta is a Ramsar site
• Floods a major issue for downstream countries. The operation of
dams upstream affects the flow of the river.
• Transboundary cooperation : instruments on cooperation between
Greece and Bulgaria as described above for rivers Strymonas and
Nestos
• Cooperation between Greece and Turkey stems frοm the 1934
agreement on the regulation of hydraulic works at the Evros River.
• Joint ministerial declaration of 2010 between Greece and Turkey and
creation of an ad hoc Joint Committee to enhance cooperation for
the sustainable development of the river basin, to consider water
management measures, to manage the flood problem in the river
basin and produce, if possible, a single RBMP or, at least, a single
flood risk management plan.
Conclusion
• Bona fide cooperation an indispensable
tool for efficient and integrated
management of transboundary waters
• Different cooperation mechanisms to
promote cooperation between Greece
and its co-riparian countries