The 4th Conference of the Water Directors of the Euro-Mediterranean and Southeastern European Countries

One of the key elements of the coming Water Directors’ Forum Conference will be the preparation and organization of the proposed Euro-Mediterranean Ministerial Conference on Water, planned to be held almost ten years after the Turin Ministerial Conference. Fostering discussions and reaching of decisions on the objectives, content, modalities, venue, possible contributions and required political background will ensure a successful Ministerial Conference.

The Water Directors’ Forum Conference will also review and discuss, in a more technical context, priority issues of the Mediterranean water agenda that are thematically pertaining to the abovementioned Ministerial Conference, with an emphasis on their recent developments, their state-of-play and their next steps also in view of the proposed Ministerial Event. Analytically:
• The Mediterranean Component of the EU Water Initiative (MED EUWI),
• The Joint Mediterranean Process (Joint MED EUWI/WFD Process), linking the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) with the MED EUWI, including reference on the recent political EU Initiative on ‘water scarcity and droughts’ ,
• The Euro-Mediterranean Information System on Know-How in the Water Sector (EMWIS),
• The EC Initiative to De-pollute the Mediterranean Sea by year 2020, namely the ‘Horizon 2020’ Initiative for the Mediterranean,  
• The European Neighborhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI), and in particular its perspectives in the Mediterranean,
• The Thematic Strategy on the Protection and Conservation of the Marine Environment (EU Marine Strategy),
• The Euro-Mediterranean Regional Water Programme for Local Water Management (MEDA-Water Programme),
• Other on-going Initiatives and Programmes in the Mediterranean region coordinated and promoted by international and/or regional Organisations, including the Mediterranean Strategy for Sustainable Development, GEF Strategic Partnership for the Mediterranean Large Marine Ecosystems, African Water Facility, etc.

The 35 Water Directors of the countries and the European Commission participating to the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership will be invited to participate. The Water Directors of Southeastern European countries and Libya will also be invited to participate as observers. Furthermore, representatives of the key regional Organisations and Networks, NGOs, representatives of the donor community, IFIs, etc will be invited as observers.