(English version) Question for written answer E-002151/20 to the Commission Maria Spyraki (PPE) (7 April 2020)

Subject: Cross-border water management between and

In recent days, there has been an increase in the water level of the river Arda in . As a result the Region of Eastern Macedonia- Thrace has implemented a package of measures to avoid damage to public infrastructure, such as irrigation pumping stations and drainage networks, as well as to farm holdings.

The increase in water levels is due to snowfall and rainfall in Bulgaria, while water releases from the dam are imminent, according to an oral statement issued by the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry on Monday, 7 April.

Given that there is an intergovernmental agreement between Greece and Bulgaria on the management of the waters of the river Arda, under which the Bulgarian authorities are obliged to channel a certain volume of water from the river Arda into Greek territory, and given that it is due to expire in 2024, will the Commission say:

1. Which European framework governs cross-border water management to prevent floods and/or drought and soil erosion close to rivers, especially where EU Member States are concerned?

2. Does a European observatory exist to ensure the reliability of data on the release or retention of water from Bulgaria to Greece, as well as an early warning mechanism for floods or a shortage of water due to the release or diversion of water?

3. Can the intergovernmental agreement between Greece and Bulgaria on the management of the waters of the river Arda be updated? If so, on the basis of which European framework?

Answer given by Mr Sinkevičius on behalf of the European Commission (6 June 2020)

EU policy on river basin and flood risk management is governed by the Water Framework Directive (WFD ) (1) and the Floods Directive (FD) (2). Article 3(3) of the WFD requires Member States to ensure that a river basin extending over more than one Member State is assigned to an international River Basin District (RBD).

The River Evros is part of the ‘-Evros-Meric’ RBD for which there is no permanent cooperation body or international River Basin Management Plan (RBMP). The Commission encourages Member States to cooperate under the Common Implementation Strategy (3) or Article 12 of the WFD (4).

In its assessment of the 2nd RBMPs and of the 1st Flood Risk Management Plans (FRMPs), the Commission recommended Member States to develop drought management plans, monitor droughts and their severity and better connect their flood risks plans to climate change science (5).

At EU level, the European Flood Awareness System (6) supports Member States in their efforts to design cost-effective measures before major flood events. In addition, the European Drought Observatory provides drought-relevant information derived from different data sources (7).

Greece and Bulgaria concluded the agreement on the management of the River Arda in their sovereign capacity (8). If a specific agreement will no longer be in place after 2024, the two countries will nonetheless continue to be bound also by international law.

|(⋅1∙|) Directive 2000/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2000 establishing a framework for Community action in the field of water policy, OJ L 327, 22.12.2000, p. 1‐73. |(⋅2∙|) Directive 2007/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2007 on the assessment and management of flood risks (Text with EEA relevance), OJ L 288, 6.11.2007, p. 27‐34. |(⋅3∙|) Including in the case of Greece and Bulgaria, as well as , which is the third riparian country: https://ec.europa.eu/environment/water/water- framework/objectives/implementation_en.htm |(⋅4∙|) This Article aims to address issues that cannot be resolved bilaterally between Member States. |(⋅5∙|) 5th implementation report of the WFD and the FD, https://ec.europa.eu/environment/water/water-framework/impl_reports.htm |(⋅6∙|) https://www.efas.eu/ |(⋅7∙|) e.g., precipitation and satellite measurements, modelled soil moisture content. |(⋅8∙|) The intergovernmental agreement is not covered by any EU legal framework, but agreements cannot contravene EU legislation. The United Nations Water Convention (9), to which they are both parties, requires the parties to prevent, control and reduce harmful transboundary impacts, use transboundary waters in a reasonable and equitable way, ensure their sustainable management and cooperate through specific agreements and joint bodies.

|(⋅9∙|) The 1992 UN Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes.