Sustainable Tourism Law

700 SUSTAINABLE TOURISM LAW International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR) which is the Steering Body of the DRPC, established in 1998 and supported by a Secretariat to implement the Convention, and, more recently, to implement the transboundary aspects of the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD). In addition, water management across the EU must respond to a number of legislative acts which lead to concrete actions and investments in the Member States. All these are aimed at improving the quality of the waters, also of special importance in the Danube Region. In particular, the implementation of the WFD, the Urban Waste Water Treatment (UWWT) Directive or the Nitrates Directive should in themselves guarantee a substantial water quality improvement 44 . According to the Convention on Cooperation for the Protection and Sustainable use of the Danube River (Danube River Protection Convention), the Contracting Parties shall strive at achieving the goals of a sustainable and equitable water management, including the conservation, improvement and the rational use of surface waters and ground water in the catchment area as far as possible. Moreover, the Contracting Parties shall make all efforts to control the hazards originating from accidents involving substances hazardous to water, floods and ice hazards of the Danube River. Moreover, they shall endeavour to contribute to reducing the pollution loads of the Black Sea from sources in the catchment area (Art. 2. Para. 1) 45 . Water management cooperation shall be oriented on sustainable water management, that means on the criteria of a stable, environmentally sound development, which are at the same time directed to: – maintain the overall quality of life; – maintain continuing access to natural resources; – avoid lasting environmental damage and protect ecosystems; – exercise preventive approach (Art. 2. Para 5. of the Danube River Protection Convention). The Contracting Parties shall take appropriate measures aiming at the prevention or reduction of transboundary impacts and at a sustainable and equitable use of water resources as well as at the conservation of ecological resources, especially: (a) enumerate groundwater resources 44 Ibid, p. 34. 45 Available at: https://www.icpdr.org/main/icpdr/danube-river-protection-convention.