Summary of the EU conference on Water, 2-3 April 2009

Notes from the EU conference on Water, held last 2nd and 3rd April:

• The conference has done a review about the public participation in the draft River Basin Management Plans requested by the Water Framework Directive. Publication of the document COM (2009) 156 final, Report on art. 18.3 of the WFD on programmes of monitoring of water status.
  
• Some questions: How to promote more and better participation? How to integrate the input of the public participation into the RBMP? Effective participation or participation pro forma?
  
• Publication of the Communication COM (2009)147/4 White paper on adaptation to climate change.
  
• The White paper on adaptation to climate change comes with the document SEC (2009) 386 Policy Paper on Water, Coasts and Marine issues.

Peter Gammeltoft (Head of Unit of Water, DG Environment, 2nd right) in the crossfire debate organised by Friends of Europe the 2nd April in the evening. Significant phrase: 'Prevention and combat of climate change has to do with energy and emissions; adaptation to climate change will have to do with water'.

More information:

• See the speech of the Commissioner Stavros Dimas.
  
• Website of the conference:
  http://water.europa.eu/participate
  
• Website of the Commission on adaptation to climate change:
  http://ec.europa.eu/environment/climat/adaptation/index_en.htm