The 22nd ICPDR Tisza Group meeting was held between 12, 13 May 2015 in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, where representatives of Hungary introduced a Tisza Project concept as a first step towards the development of a project proposal to be submitted for the EU Danube Transnational Programme (DTP).

The JOINTISZA project proposal were submitted to DTP-webiste after a six month period of project development.  The project main objective is strengthening cooperation between river basin management planning and flood risk prevention to enhance the status of waters of the Tisza River Basin.

The over exploitation, water regime modification, contamination and growing flood events  amplified by climate change negative effects require harmonized, integrated actions from countries in shared river basins. The project will focus on interactions of two key aspects, the river basin management (RBM) and flood protection, taking into account the relevant stakeholders who have pivotal role in the Tisza RBM planning process. The main aim of the project is to further improve of the integration of water management and flood risk prevention actions in the next RBM planning cycle, in line with the relevant EU legislation. The project will be elaborated by means of joint actions of five countries (UA, SK, HU, RO, RS) sharing the Tisza River Basin. A joint transnational strategic document will be the main output of the project in which measures facilitating the harmonization of the related national regulations, the updated Integrated Tisza RBM Plan will be developed.

The project includes 17 partners from the water sector and minsitries of the five Tisza-countries and international organizations with the leading of the General Directorate of Water Management of Hungary (OVF).

The project includes the following workpackages (WPs) and WP leaders:

WP1 – Project management: General Directorate of Water Management (of Hungary – OVF)

WP2 – Communication activities: Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe (REC)

WP3 – Characterization of the basin – Water Quality: Water Research Institute (VUVH, Slovakia)

WP4 - Surface Water Quantity and Groundwater: Jaroslav Cerni Institute (Serbia)

WP5 - FRMP elements integration into RBMP: National Administration „Romanian Waters” (Romania)

WP6 – Synthesis: Global Water Partnreship CEE (GWP CEE)