Transboundary: TNMN - a long-term monitoring network in the Danube River basin

The first steps towards joint water quality monitoring network in Danube River Basin (DRB) were taken when governments of the Danube countries signed the Bucharest Declaration in 1995. The monitoring network used for the purposes of the Declaration consisted of eleven monitoring locations along the Danube River itself where the river formed or crossed the border between the countries.

In 1991 the Danube countries started preparations for the Convention on Cooperation for the Protection and sustainable use of the Danube River (DRPC), which was signed in 1994 in Sofia. The EU supported the Environmental Programme for the Danube River Basin (EPDRB) and a lead Task Force also started in 1991 with the main objective of strengthening the operational basis for environmental management in the DRB.

The Contracting Parties committed to establish a joint monitoring system, agreed upon monitoring points sources of pollution, river quality characteristics and pollution parameters regularly to be evaluated for the Danube River and its main tributaries. A concern was also underlined regarding typical emissions of pollutants discharged within the respective catchment areas. In addition, the Parties periodically were to assess the quality conditions of Danube River and the progress made by their measures taken aiming at the prevention, control and reduction of transboundary impacts.

The Trans-National Monitoring Network of the Danube River Basin (TNMN) was designed in 1993 (under the project “Monitoring, Laboratory Analysis and Information Management for the Danube River Basin”).

The main outcome in the frame of TNMN is the basin-wide assessment of water quality based on a homogenous and comprehensive data set, annually presented in the Danube Yearbooks, focused on the following aspects:

• Presentation of results of the basic statistical processing
• Identification of water quality changes along the Danube River
• Presentation of profile and trend assessments in water quality
• Assessment of dangerous substances content in accordance to EQS established or proposed for use in EU
• Assessment of selected pollutants loads.

In addition to the already mentioned annual report (Yearbooks), there is also a Five-year Report on Water Quality in Danube River Basin Based on TransNational Mentoring Network prepared in 2003. The other uses of TNMN data were the sub-stations (according to EU WFD Article 5 report “Characterization of pressures and impacts at the basin wide level). The special relevant chapters of “Danube River Basin Management Plan” where the status of water bodies were presented including the impacts and their causes and results of this assessment, the relevant measures for impacts mitigation among others.

Since its operation, TNMN is supported by a basin-wide network of National Reference Laboratories. The TNMN coordinates the entire monitoring activity at national levels and ensures the quality of the results of the analyses. However, the harmonization of working methods and improvement of data compatibility is still an ongoing process.