ODESA, OCTOBER 3rd, 2014, CONTEXT-PRICHERNOMORIE – People's Deputy of Ukraine Sergiy Grynevetsky believes that the institutions of civil society, academia, and the private sector should play their role in the implementation of the Danube Strategy with the parliaments, governments, local authorities, Context-Prichernomorie correspondent reports.

“The Draft final declaration is presented for our attention. Agreeing in general with the language and spirit of the Declaration I would like to make a number of proposals that would give the document a more practical nature. Therefore in first paragraph, Article 1 I suggest after the words “…participants agree to initiate add the words «and ensure adoption of the legal framework for the effective functioning of the consultation mechanism…. This provision is very important as imperfect legislation or absences of necessary legislation are the problems which now hamper the implementation of the Strategy for the Danube Region in Ukraine,” he noted.

“I would also like that civil society, academic community and the private sector played their role in the implementation of the Strategy for the Danube Region along with the parliaments, governments and local authorities,” the deputy added. “I suggest in the first paragraph of the Article 1 of the Final declaration after the words “…to initiate a consultation mechanism between their governments and their respective parliaments…” to add the words “involving scientists, private sector and civil society”. In addition it is proposed to introduce a mechanism for consultations between the Parliamentary Contact Point and non-governmental organizations.

In addition in our opinion the Chapter concerning flood protection should be more detailed and expanded. First in this chapter for some reason the International Danube River Protection Commission which is the executive body of the Danube River Protection Convention is not mentioned.

For Ukraine it is important to combat not only the floods but also the river pollution. Each year more than 70 million tons of pollutants enter the bottom part of the Danube River. They threaten human health not less then flooding and affect adversely the unique fauna of the river delta.

Secondly it is proposed to specify a list of anti-flood measures amending the third part of the Article 4 as follows: “Participants call the attention of their respective governments to the maximal use of the existent expertise and knowledge base and also to the necessity of securing financing for information events, forecasting and practical infrastructure works for flood protection.”