HELLENIC WATER WEEK
Hilton Hotel, Athens, Greece
PRELIMINARY PROGRAMME
International Seminar
“The Implementation of
the Water Framework Directive
in the European Union and beyond”
DAY 1: Wednesday 18 June 2003
14.00-15.40 Session 1: “EU water policy and the state of European waters”Chair: Mr. Stavros Kampelis, Secretary General, Hellenic Ministry for the Environment, Physical Planning and Public Works
-Welcome by the Hellenic Presidency
Time (min) / Title / Speakers20 / Welcome / HE Vasso Papandreou
Greek Minister for the Environment, Physical Planning and Public Works
20 / Introduction – the importance of the WFD and the CIS in the wider context / Catherine Day
Director General for Environment, European Commission
20 / The importance of the WFD in the international context / Dr. Veerle Vandeweerd
Director of Global Programme of Action ofUNEP (GPA) Coordination Office.
20 / The state of the aquatic environment in Europe – presentation of the EEAWater IndicatorReport / Jacqueline McGlade
Executive Director of the European Environment Agency
20 / The Water Framework Directive – challenges, threats and opportunities / Ioannis Vournas
Director General,
Hellenic Ministry for the Environment, Physical Planning and Public Works
15.40-16.00 Coffee Break
16.00-18.30 Session 2: “The EU Water Framework Directive – progress and perception of implementation in Europe and beyond”
Co-Chair: Mr. Patrick Murphy,Head of Water Unit, Environment DG, European Commission
Co-Chair: Mr. Ioannis Vournas, Director General, Hellenic Ministry for the Environment, Physical Planning and Public Works
Time (min) / Title / Speakers15 / Experiences of the Common Implementation Strategy from the perspective of a Member State – France / Pascal Berteaud
French Water Director, Ministry of Ecology and Sustainable Development, France
15 / Experiences of the Common Implementation Strategy from the perspective of a new Member State – Cyprus / Christodoulos Artemis Water Director, Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment, Cyprus
15 / Experiences of international marine conventions – Mediterranean / Lucien Chabason
Coordinator, MAP/UNEP
15 / Experiences of international river conventions – Danube / Dr Fritz Holzwarth President of the Danube Commission and Water Director, Ministry of Environment ,Germany
15 / A Mediterranean perspective on the Water Framework Directive outside the European Union – Egypt / Baha Saad
Reservoir and Barrages Sector Head, Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, Egypt
15 / The Water Framework Directive from the perspective of nature protection – Greek Biotope-Wetland Centre (EKBY) / Niki Goulandris
President of the GoulandrisNaturalHistoryMuseum - ΕΚΒΥ
25 / Experiences with the Water Framework Directive implementation from the perspective of the Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs)
a) An assessment of the EU actions to implement the Water Framework Directive – European Environmental Bureau (EEB)
b) Preparations for Water Framework Directive implementation at the national level across the European Union– World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF) / Stefan Scheuer
Policy officer water and chemicals, European Environmental Bureau
Andreas Wurzer
Head of the WWF, Living Waters Programme Europe
35 / Discussion and summary
DAY 2: Thursday 19 June 2003
9.00-11.00 Session 3: “Integrated management – the river basin perspective”Co-Chair: Mr. Friedrich Barth,Environment DG, European Commission
Co-Chair: Mr. Dimitrios Paitas, Director General of Natural Resources, Hellenic Ministry of Development
Time (min) / Title / Speakers30 / Pilot River Basins – first results
(accompanied by a Poster Session during the seminar) / Giovanni Bidoglio
JRC, Head of Unit in the Institute for Environment and Sustainability
30 / The international River Basin of the Scheldt – the pilot project / Veronique Van Den Langenbergh
Head of Unit, Flemish Environment Agency, Belgium
30 / The OdenseRiver Basin – first results / Harley BundgaardMadsen
Fyns County, Denmark
30 / The JucarRiver Basin – first results / Teodoro Estrela
JucarRiver BasinAuthority, Valencia, Spain
11.00 - 11.30 Coffee Break
15 / Research in support of the Water Framework Directive / Andrea Tilche
DG Research, European Commission
20 / Development of tools for river basin management – the CATCHMOD research cluster / Geo E. Arnold
RIZA, the Netherlands
10 / Organisation of the parallel sessions in the afternoon
12.15 –14.00 Lunch Break & Poster Session
14.00-16.00 Session 4: Parallel sessions on specific river basin management aspects
Session 4.1:
Economic elements in water analysis and management – are we achieving integration? / Session 4.2:
Ecological quality assessment – revolutionary approach, the only way forward or impossible to implement? / Session 4.3:
River basin planning and public participation – opportunity or threat?
1
14.00-16.00 Parallel Session 4.1Session 4.1 “Economic elements in water analysis and management – are we achieving integration?”
Chair: Thierry Davy, DG Environment, European Commission
Rapporteur: N.N.
Time (min) / Title / Speakers
15 / Requirements and guidance on economic analysis / Thierry Davy, DG Environment, European Commission
20 / The Testing of the economic guidance in Corfu Island / EduardInterwies, Ecologic, Germany
Georgia Gioni, IGME, Greece
20 / The incentive dimension of water pricing: price elasticity in Athens / Maria Ghini,
Ministry of Development, Greece
20 / Economic regulations in the WFD and their implementation in Germany / Peter Kessler, Hessen,Ministry of Environment, Wiesbaden, Germany
20 / Implementing cost recovery: an example on a French river basin / Jean Pierre Rideau,
French Ministry of Ecology and Sutainability, Paris, France
25 / Discussion
14.00-16.00 Parallel Session 4.2
Session 4.2 “Ecological quality assessment – revolutionary approach, the only way forward or impossible to implement?”
ChairJoachim D’Eugenio, DG Environment, European Commission
Rapporteur Anna-Stiina Heiskanen, Institute for Environment and Sustainability, Joint Research Centre
Time (min) / Title / Speakers
30 / General presentation on the requirements and available guidance on ecological classification and the related ongoing research / Anna-Stiina Heiskanen,
Joint Research Centre, Institute for Environment and Sustainability, Ispra, Italy
15 / Ecological Status definition – is it clear enough? / Ruth Davies,
European Environment Bureau
15 / Development of a methodology for the ecological assessment and classification of Greek rivers / Nikolaos Skoulikides
National Centre of Marine Research, Greece
15 / Developing a common approach for typology and classification of inland waters for the Nordic ecoregion / Anders Hobaek
NIVA, Norway
15 / Harmonisation of ecological classification and intercalibration in large international river basins – the Danube / Ursula Schmedtje, Secretariat of the International Commission for the Protection of the DanubeRiver
30 / Discussion
14.00-16.00 Parallel Session 4.3
Session 4.3 River basin planning and public participation – opportunity or threat?
ChairMarta Moren Abat, DG Environment, European Commission
Rapporteur Charlie Avis, WWF
Time (min) / Title / Speakers
5 / Introduction / Marta Moren Abat
20 / Planning process in river basin management / Manual Menendez CEDEX, Spain
20 / Public Participation/Public Involvement / Erik Mostert
DelftUniversity of Technology, the Netherlands
15 / River Basin Planning in Greece – The PiniosPilotRiver Basin Project / Anastasia Lazarou / Eleimon Tiligadas
Hellenic Ministry for the Environment, Physical Planning and Public Works
20 / Mediterranean dimension: Tevere/Cecina river basin / Giorgio Pineschi
20 / International river basin "A Danube river basin strategy for public participation in river basin management planning" / Charlie Avis
WWF
20 / Institutional aspects: water planning and public participation in France / Coralie Noël
Ministry of Ecology and Sustainability, France
1
16.00 -16.30 Coffee Break16.30–17.30 Conclusions of the Seminar
Time
(min) / Title / Speakers
45 / Plenary – results of parallel sessions / Chair and Rapporteur from parallel sessions
15 / Conclusions of the seminar
Closing remarks / Anastasia Lazarou Hellenic Ministry for the Environment, Physical Planning and Public Works and
Patrick Murphy, European Commission, DG Environment
Regional Seminar
on the Development
of the Mediterranean Component
of the EU Water Initiative
Friday 20 June 2003
09.00 - 09.30 Opening Addresses- HE Rodoula Zissi, Deputy Minister for Environment, Physical Planning and Public Works, Greece
- Elias Gounaris, Ambassador, Chairman of the Committee on Sustainable Development, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Greece
09.30 - 11.15 The EU Water Initiative and major water activities supported in the Mediterranean and the Balkans
Co-Chair: Eleni Tzanetoulea, Ambassador, Head, Directorate for Environmental Protection, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Greece
Co-Chair: Friedrich Barth, Co-Coordinator of the EU Water Initiative, DG Environment, Commission of the European Union
Rapporteur: Stefan Scheuer, EU Policy Officer, Chemicals & Water, European Environmental Bureau (EEB)
Time estimate (min) / Title / Potential speakers15 / The EU Water Initiative: An overview / Friedrich Barth
Co-Coordinator of the EU Water Initiative, DG Environment, Commission of the European Union
10 / Finance Component / Martin Walsh
Senior Water Advisor, Infrastructure and Urban Development Department, Department for International Development, United Kingdom
10 / Major water activities supported by AidCo in the Mediterranean and the Balkans / Rodney Standring
Principle Administrator, DG AidCo, Commission of the European Union
10 / Major water activities supported by the European Investment Bank in the Mediterranean and the Balkans / Otto HuskenEuropean Investment Bank
10 / Major water activities supported by the World Bank in the Mediterranean / Rita CesttiSenior Water Economist, World Bank
10 / Research Component of the EU Water Initiative / Zissimos Vergos
Scientific Officer, DG Research, Commission of the European Union
10 / The Mediterranean Component of the EU Water Initiative in the context of the Global Agenda since Johannesburg / Maria Peppa
Head, Department of International Relations and EU Affairs, Ministry for the Environment, Physical Planning and Public Works, Greece
10 / Summary
Coffee will be served inside the meeting room
11.15 – 12.15 The Operation Plan of the Mediterranean Component of the EU Water InitiativeCo-Chair: Alexandra Vlandou, Director for Environmental Planning, Ministry for the Environment, Physical Planning and Public Works, Greece
Co-Chair: Fadi Comair, Director General, Ministry for Water Resources and Energy, Lebanon
Rapporteur: Alberto Tejada-Guibert, Acting Deputy Secretary, International Hydrological Programme / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (IHP/UNESCO)
Time estimate (min) / Title / Potential speakers15 / The Operation Plan of the Mediterranean Component of the EU Water Initiative / Michael Scoullos
Chairman, Global Water Partnership–Mediterranean (GWP-Med)
45 / Discussion and Summary
12.15 – 14.15 Parallel Roundtables
The Roundtables would start with a key-note presentation on the Mediterranean Component’s respective selected Themes. The discussions should lead to suggestions of concrete actions (building blocks, demonstrations projects), expression of commitment for cooperation and development of synergies among the different stakeholders for the MED EUWI development. The participants are also invited to address the horizontal Themes of (i) Transfer of technology, transfer of know how and training and (ii) Education, within the three main Themes of the Roundtables.
Roundtable AIntegrated water resources management, with emphasis on management of transboundary water bodies / Roundtable B-1
Water supply and sanitation, with emphasis on the poorest part of the societies
Roundtable B-2
Water, food and environment interaction, with emphasis on fragile ecosystems
Co-Chair: Corrado Clini, Director General, Directorate for International Protection of the Environment, Ministry for Environment and Territory, Italy
Co-Chair:Zeljko Ostojic, State Water Directorate, Head of Croatian Delegation at ICPDR, Croatia
Rapporteur:Rita Cestti, Senior Water Economist, World Bank / Co-Chair:Essam Khalifa, Minister's Office, Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, Egypt
Co-Chair:Youssef Nouri, Co-Chairman, Mediterranean Information Office for Environment, Culture and Sustainable Development (MIO-ECSDE)
Rapporteur B-1: Peter Borkey, Manager, Water Programme Non Member Countries Division, Organization for Economic Cooperation and DevelopmentRapporteur B-2:Chris Tydeman, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)
Key Presentations
- Major programmes on management of transboundary water bodies in the Middle East and North Africa - Khaled Abu Zeid, Senior Water Specialist, Center for Environment and Development in the Arab Region and Europe (CEDARE)- Brief Presentation of proposed Building Blocks and Discussion /
Key Presentation B-1
- Major programmes on water supply and sanitation in the Mediterranean – Ahmed Hajji, ONEP, Morocco and Institut Mediterraneen de l’ Eau (IME)- Brief Presentation of proposed Building Blocks and Discussion
Key Presentation B-2- Major activities on water, food and environment interaction, with emphasis on fragile ecosystems in the Mediterranean- Spyros Kouvelis, Coordinator, MedWet
- Brief Presentation of proposed Building Blocks and Discussion
14.15 – 15.30 Lunch Break
15.30–16.30 Reports from the Parallel Sessions
Co-Chair: Dia El-Din Ahmed El Quosy, Advisor, Project Manager of LakeManzala Engineered Wetland Project, Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, Egypt
Co-Chair: Juan Canovas Cuenca, Chairman of EMWIS, Chairman of the Advisory Board of GWP-Med
Rapporteur: Alan Hall, Global Water Partnership (GWP)
Time estimate (min) / Title / Potential speakers10 / Roundtable A
Water supply and sanitation, with emphasis on the poorest part of the societies / Peter Borkey
Manager Water Programme Non Member Countries Division, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
10 / Roundtable B1
Integrated water resources management, with emphasis on management of transboundary water bodies / Rita CesttiSenior Water Economist, World Bank
10 / Roundtable B2
Water, food and environment interaction, with emphasis on fragile ecosystems / Chris Tydeman,
World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)
30 / Discussion and Summary
16.30 – 17.00 Conclusions
Co-Chair: Friedrich Barth, Co-Coordinator of the EU Water Initiative, DG Environment, Commission of the European Union
Co-Chair: Maria Peppa, Head, Department of International Relations and EU Affairs, Ministry for the Environment, Physical Planning and Public Works, Greece
Rapporteur: Michael Scoullos, Chairman, Global Water Partnership – Mediterranean (GWP-Med)
1