**3.2 International Sava River Basin Commission (ISRBC)**

30 Current Issues of Water Management

As a key milestone of the process, the *Framework Agreement on the Sava River Basin* (*FASRB*) has been developed, as a unique international agreement integrating all aspects of water resources management and establishing the International Sava River Basin Commission (ISRBC) for implementation of the *FASRB*, with the legal status of an international organization. After signing the *FASRB* in December 2002, at Kranjska Gora (Slovenia), the Interim Sava Commission was formed to prepare all steps necessary for establishment of the permanent commission upon entry of the *FASRB* into force. Following the ratification of the *FASRB* by all Parties, and its entry into force in December 2004, the constitutional session of the ISRBC was held in June 2005, and subsequently, the permanent Secretariat of the ISRBC started to work in January 2006, with the seat in Zagreb (Croatia). Since then, the ISRBC has been a leader of cooperation of the Parties toward the *FASRB* implementation, the status of

The *FASRB* is an international agreement that integrates all aspects of water resources management – different kinds of water use, the water and aquatic ecosystem protection, as well as the protection against harmful effects of water due to extreme hydrologic events and

The overall objective of the FASRB is to establish and maintain the transboundary cooperation in order to provide conditions for sustainable development of the region within the Sava river basin. The particular objectives of the *FASRB* (*FASRB*, 2002) include the





The *FASRB* implementation is being undertaken by the national institutions, officially

The *FASRB* presents the first development-oriented multilateral agreement in the postconflict period, concluded in the region of the former Yugoslavia after the *Dayton Peace Agreement* and the *Agreement on Succession*. By involving the whole water resources management and addressing both sustainability and development issues, the *FASRB* provides the ISRBC with the broadest scope of work among European basin organizations

which is summarized in part 4.1.

accidents involving the water pollution.

UNECE conventions, and

(i.e. river and lake commissions).

harm rule".


The basic principles stipulated by the *FASRB* include:

nominated by the Parties, and is coordinated by the ISRBC.

establishment of:

**3.1** *Framework Agreement on the Sava River Basin (FASRB)*

The ISRBC is a joint institution established as an international organization with the international legal capacity necessary for exercising its functions.

In order to achieve the main goals of the *FASRB*, the following activities are coordinated by the ISRBC:


In accordance with the mandate and responsibilities, the ISRBC is a central point in identification and implementation of projects of regional importance, aiming to strengthen the cooperation of the Sava countries and facilitate the fulfilment of the *FASRB* objectives.

The ISRBC is given the capacity for making decisions in the field of navigation (obligatory for the Parties) and providing recommendations on all other issues. Additionally, the ISRBC provides recommendations to the Meeting of the Parties, a ministerial-level body which makes decisions relating to strategic issues of the *FASRB* implementation and performs a general monitoring of the implementation process.

The ISRBC is composed of two representatives of each Party to the *FASRB*, one member and one deputy member of each Party, having one vote in the Commission. The Commission has a chairman who represents the ISRBC. The Secretariat is an administrative and executive body of the ISRBC.

In order to foster cooperation and ensure synergy in achieving its goals, the ISRBC has established permanent and *ad-hoc* expert groups, composed of delegated experts from each Party. There are four permanent expert groups, covering the key issues in the basin – river basin management, accident prevention and control, flood prevention, and navigation, as well as five *ad-hoc* expert groups, dealing with specific issues and tasks – legal issues, financial issues, hydro-meteorological issues, GIS and RIS.
