EXPERT BASIS FOR DETERMINING THE IMPACTS TO THE ECOLOGICAL STATUS OF THE MURA RIVER AND THE IMPACTS TO THE CHANGES OF THE HYDRO-MORPHOLOGICAL PARAMETERS OF THE WATER BODY FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT OF THE HRASTJE MOTA HPP

The created expert groundwork identifies all elements that are required in the making of the Environmental Report, which is needed for the Environmental Protection Approval within the National Spatial Plan for the Hrastje Mota HPP.

UPDATING THE CONCEPT OF CONSTRUCTION OF HYDROPOWER PLANTS ON THE MURA IN WMP II

In order to determine public interest as stipulated by Article 4.7 of the Water Framework Directive on the possibility of deviating from the objective of the existing good status or the good ecological potential of bodies of water due to the construction of hydro-electric power plants, we prepared expert groundwork for assessment methodologies that use uniform criteria.

ARRANGEMENTS OF THE PROBLEMS OF THE ACTUAL STATE OF THE MURA RIVER BORDER SECTION

Determining a concept for addressing the existing state at the border section of the Mura River is needed so that the strategic decision-making and planning of improvements can be integrated with the planning of measures to achieve the water and environmentally-oriented objectives, including adaptation to climate change with additional planned increases in the share of renewable energy from hydro-electric power.

ASSESSMENT OF THE ACTUAL STATE OF THE MURA RIVER BORDER SECTION

Making an expert assessment of the change trend in the status of the water body at the border section of the Mura River (dredging (morphological changes of the water body), decrease of the surface of the Mura River and of the Apaško polje groundwater (hydrological changes) after the cross-sectional year of 2002 (Basic water management regulation of the border section of the Mura River – Standing Slovenian-Austrian Commission for the Mura River)), making expert groundwork for the positions of the Republic of Slovenia within the Standing Slovenian-Austrian Commission for the Mura River regarding the determination of the status of the water body at the border section of the Mura River and making expert groundwork for a proposal of measures to improve the status of the water body at the border section of the Mura River that are coordinated between the neighbouring countries of Slovenia and Austria at the Standing Slovenian-Austrian Commission for the Mura River.

European Topic Centre on Inland, Coastal and Marine Waters (ETC/ICM)

The European Topic Centre on Inland, Coastal and Marine Waters (ETC/ICM) is an international consortium brought together to support the European Environment Agency (EEA) in its mission to deliver timely, targeted, relevant and reliable information to policy-makers and the public for the development and implementation of sound environmental policies in the European Union and other EEA member countries.

International Operation and Integration

By reason of the transboundary nature of the marine environment, Member States need to cooperate to ensure the coordinated development of marine strategies for each marine region or subregion. Member States therefore strive to ensure that assessment methodologies are consistent across the marine region or subregion and that transboundary impacts and transboundary features are taken into account.

Use and Spatial Planning of Coastal Waters

The presence of the sea defines a number of specific activities, for example industry, tourism, port activities, mariculture, fishing, etc. that are directly tied to the sea and to the use of the sea or are a related activity. By using the sea, these activities directly impact each other, competing and imposing various legal regimes on one another, which can lead to conflicts regarding sea use in relation to living environment protection objectives, natural ecosystems and landscapes and to granted water rights and decreased economic performance of some of the activities.

Marine Litter (Descriptor 10)

Marine litter includes all solid waste of anthropogenic (human) origin that enters the marine environment in any way. If not removed, the litter remains where it was left. The Slovenian marine environment and coast contain litter of all types and origins. Most of it is from plastic materials originating from land (settlement, tourism, industry) and marine activities (fishing, mariculture, sea transport).