By the end of 2021, EU Member States and countries associated with the Common Implementation Strategy needed to submit their River Basin Management Plans (RBMPs), which are required under the Water Framework Directive (WFD) for the period 2022-2027 (third planning cycle). Before submission, draft plans need to be open for public consultation over a minimum period of six months. Since the adoption of the WFD in 2000, implementation has fallen behind schedule, as documented by the European Commission’s Implementation Reports. Therefore, the upcoming planning cycle is crucial to achieving the objective of good water status across Europe by 2027.
The objective of this project was to scan the Sava RBMP draft and the Habitats Directive Article 17 reports and test them according to the following questions:
- How does this management plan comply with the relevant European directives (Habitats, Birds and Water Framework Directives)?
- How does this management plan comply with the new European Green Deal and EU Biodiversity strategy for 2030?
- How well are the biodiversity and ecosystem conservation measures of this management plan aligned with the Danube River basin management plan?
- How well does this management plan respect nature, biodiversity, and other natural values/resources?
- How strictly does this management plan limit the exploitation of Sava through harmful hydropower plants and other destructive infrastructure investments?
- How well aligned is this management plan with all relevant national laws on nature conservation, protected areas and watershed management?