European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)

Activities

The EBRD published a water strategy for South East Europe in 2001 (26 pages, pdf, 103 KB), identifying the water and wastewater sector as a priority. This provided a defining set of guidelines for municipal and environmental infrastructure operations. This policy is currently being reviewed.

The EBRD is very active in the municipal and environmental infrastructure sectors in SEE. Projects have been initiated in a number of municipalities in SEE such as Croatia (Zagreb); Serbia and Montenegro (Belgrade, City of Kragujevac, City of Nis and Novi Sad). It is believed that although water and wastewater projects fall under municipal mandates, the impact of improving water conditions, particularly with respect to wastewater treatment, will result in long-term regional benefits through downstream improvements of the Adriatic and Black Seas as well as for the Danube and other key river basins. EBRD is a member of the DABLAS Task Force.

Criteria for funding and the funding process

Whereas each project is tailor made contingent upon the transition stage of the host country, projects should also be consistent with:

• the objectives set out under the Community water policy of the EU and international conventions, such as the Convention for the Protection of the Danube River Basin, the Black Sea Convention and the Barcelona Convention

• an integrated approach to water management to tie together, where possible, initiatives across administrative and political boundaries.