1.3.E Political Campaign

Campaigning together for major changes to achieving integrated water resource management in the Prut RB, ECCG and EMM focussed on two issues: access to environmental information-the core issue being the water-related information (nutrients and toxic substances), and, the creation of a formal structure for a joint water management.

The campaign targeted politicians, civil servants, media and other opinion formers.

During the Inception Conference, on World Water Day (March 22), a letter was sent to politicians and high officials within the Ministry of Environment and Water Management and the “Romanian Waters” National Administration. In fact it was the Romanian version of the official letter sent to European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid, EC on behalf of civil society groups (See Mid-report Addendum E).

In it, ECCG and EMM joined the other European organizations calling for a re-assessment and change of course in the EU approach to the crisis in access to clean water and sanitation in developing countries. On the other hand, the letter raised awareness on the environmental groups’ concern regarding the water privatization trend in Romania, as well. The letter dissemination was achieved during the IC within PBWA.

The IC Declaration was also used as a political tool, on one hand:

· to remind the ruling government and politicians that, during the Prut Management Planning process, special attention and careful measure plans are needed to secure public participation, and, on the other hand,

· that the non-governmental Community in the Prut RB was committed to getting involved in the decision-making process so as to secure a correct compliance with the WFD requirements.

The Declaration highlighted the exceptional value of the Prut River genuine natural habitats and aquatic ecosystems, the birds’ migratory route towards and from the Danube Delta, border wetland area, many of which have been declared protected zones. The IC participants consider that:

1. Joint Strategy for the Prut Basin Wide Approach is very essential to secure the sustainable development in the area

2. Permanent co-operation and transparency are key elements to enable accurate monitoring

3. Local administration representatives should get involved in the working groups current activities

4. A Joint Action Management Plan should be elaborated

5. The small tributaries’ monitoring system must be connected to the waste management

6. Participants to the IC stated their commitment to staying involved alongside with all the key stakeholders in the area during the project implementation process.

Hopes are that the key stakeholders will remain committed to their pledges long after the RBMP has been completed, and ready to be put in practice.

The project partners shared this important task, maintaining a constant dialogue with the occasions of appropriate events organized during the current project implementation stage.

During the second phase, the project team requested from REC project officer the permission to stop the campaign as there was not realistically to achieve the envisaged results because of the domino effect of the floods and diminished human resources of both partners.