Framework Agreement on the Sava River Basin Before the break-up of former Yugoslavia, the resources of the Sava River (the country's largest river) were regulated by national regulations, plans and programmes. An appropriate institutional framework for implementing policy in the water areas of the Sava River Basin had been established before the country broke apart. The dissolution of the country into independent states turned the Sava into an international river. Its exploitation, protection and control must now be regulated differently, with consideration given to new, international frameworks. In particular, national institutions must cooperate across borders to assure that the water resources of the entire basin are managed according to modern, sustainable principles. The Sava River Basin received increased focus after the adoption of the EU Water Framework Directive in 2000. The basin became the subject of a pilot project for the implementation of the directive, reinforcing its great importance for all of Europe. Unfortunate events in South Eastern Europe at the end of the 20th century added to the burden of the Sava River Basin area. This new situation demanded appropriate actions by its riparian countries and international institutions. The establishment of the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe set a solid basis for active cooperation by all stakeholders in the region. It also opened the way for creating new water-resource management in the basin. By end of 2001, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia and Montenegro signed a Letter of Intent to launch mutual activities in regard to the Sava River and its tributaries in Sarajevo. The basic idea of the document was to utilise, protect and control the Sava River Basin water resources in a manner that would enable “better living conditions and raising the standard of living of the population in the region.” The issues of re-establishing river navigation as the cheapest way to transport goods, the possibility to widen the scope of domestic natural resources and the strengthening of infrastructure, which are consistent with the goals of European strategic transport corridors, were emphasised as priorities in negotiations over the legal definition of relations regarding the Sava River Basin. Croatia expressed special interest in establishing navigation as its priority, and BiH set navigation as a priority equal to flood protection. The negotiations resulted in the emphasis of other interests in the Sava River Basin. For example, Slovenia stressed issues related to the protection and exploitation of natural resources needed for tourism, and BiH stressed flood protection and the utilisation of natural resources for energy production. Serbia and Montenegro emphasised the protection and maintenance of water quality and quantity. International legal acts insist on the equality of all participants and the need to reach consensus on all issues. This tenet resulted in the enlargement of the agreement in all aspects of sustainable water management. While all of the issues raised were given equal importance, the parties agreed to make navigation the first task to be addressed. Namely, the Protocol on Navigation Regime was signed jointly with the Framework Agreement on Sava River Basin on December 3, 2002, at Kranjska Gora, Slovenia. The scope of the Framework Agreement covered the following areas of sustainable water resources management: • utilisation and exploitation of water; • water quality and quantity protection; • protection from the harmful impacts of water; and • water eco-system protection. The wide scope of the agreement necessitated a larger number of participants, who formed teams to prepare the agreement’s text. Experts contributed to different aspects of sustainable water resources management. The negotiations proceeded quickly, with final text harmonised after only nine months, a breakneck pace as international frameworks go. The agreement also resulted in an institutional framework for international implementation, as well as a request for the parties to coordinate the activities of their national institutions. The agreement established the International Sava River Basin Commission, which contains an equal number of members of all parties to the agreement. The agreement also stipulated that the commission should make all decisions by consensus, and that the commission should officially commence its work no later than six months after the agreement enters into force. On March 13, 2003, a Meeting of Interested Parties was held in Brussels, which was of great importance since: • the Stability Pact has turned over the coordination of the Sava process to the Southeast European Cooperative Initiative (SECI); • it was decided, considering that the entry into force of one international agreement requires the completion of ratification procedures in all countries, which can sometimes last for more than a year, that the Sava River Basin Interim Commission would be set until the commission began its official work; and • the Draft Action Plan for Execution of the Framework Agreement was presented by the secretariat.

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