A comparative study of international and EU policies on transboundary aquifers(Am05041)

Establishing sustainable water cooperation and integrated management throughout the world seems to be the best way to remedy water management issues, in particular through the promotion of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM). Legally speaking, different instruments coexist at international and EU levels, and the question often arises to which extent cooperation between States is effective to adequately manage water resources and how binding agreements are interconnected. This paper reviews four legal instruments operated at international or EU levels, namely the UN Convention on the Law of the Non-navigational Uses of International Watercourses, the UN Law of transboundary Aquifers, the UNECE Helsinki Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Use and the EU Water Framework Directive.