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Action for the Reinforcement of the Transitional Waters' Environmental Integrity

Funding Programme:

Interreg

Sea Basin(s):

Ico_Baltic Created with Sketch.
Baltic Sea

Countries:

Germany
Lithuania
Poland
Sweden

Status:

Completed

Completion Year:

Website/Source:

http://www.balticlagoons.net/artwei/

Contact Person(s):

Artūras Razinkovas-Baziukas

Coastal Research and Planning Institute

Klaipėda University

+370 46 398844

artatcorpi.ku.lt (art[at]corpi[dot]ku[dot]lt)

Implementation Period:
-
Specific Funding Programme:

INTERREG IV A: South Baltic Programme 2007-2013

Budget:

1.408.400€

About the Project:

Transitional waters (TW) link adjacent river basins and marine areas and are critically important for the ecological health of the Baltic Sea. The European Water Policy and the EU Water Framework Directive set the guidelines for managing river basins, while marine areas are managed within the EU Maritime Spatial Planning framework.

ARTWEI aims to strike an operational balance between EU requirements for Maritime Spatial Planning framework, Water Framework Directive and Integrated Coastal Zone Management, which do often overlap or contradict each other. This aim is achieved by establishing the South Baltic Transitional Waters’ partnership network of the key institutions based on the long-term cooperation agreement and supported by the regional activity network of EUCC – The Coastal and Marine Union. Thus, the cross-border cooperation of local and regional interest groups, citizens and politicians is crucial.

ARTWEI project is based on existing experiences from the EU and international Baltic Sea cooperation networks within development of local and regional methods for effective management of TWs from two perspectives:

  • cross border cooperation
  • environmental integrity of river basins –TWs – open sea.

ARTWEI project has four cross-border Transitional Waters regions of the South Baltic Area as target areas:

  • Curonian Lagoon (LT/RU),
  • Vistula Lagoon (RU/PL)
  • Odra Lagoon (PL/DE)
  • Oresund (DK/SE)

Artwei four cross border Transnational Waters regions (Source: Project website)

Concrete conclusions and recommendations for the durable reinforcement of the environmental integrity of the Transitional waters are developed in the form of a Good Practice Code of Conduct. A web-based multilingual platform, including webGIS and other ICT tools, created facilitating an interactive knowledge exchange within and among Transitional Waters Stakeholder Bodies. Environmental education is an additional tool implemented in the form of a transboundary coastal dialogue, a photo competition and a public information system.

Project partners

  • Klaipeda University – Lead partner (LT)
  • EUCC Coastal Union Germany (DE)
  • EUCC Baltic Office (LT)
  • World Maritime University (SE)
  • University of Szczecin (PL)
  • Sea Fisheries Institute (PL)