Collaboration mechanisms

In the framework of the DIKTAS project, the four DIKTAS project countries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Montenegro) have agreed to create two mechanisms in order to facilitate enhanced consultation and exchange of information between the governmental entities that are involved in water resources management: National Inter-ministerial Committees (NICs) in each of the project countries, and a Consultation and Information Exchange (CIE) body at the regional level.

Consultation Mechanism

Interlinkages between Inter-ministerial Committees (IMCs) and the Regional Consultation and Information Exchange (CIE) body (click to enlarge)

The NICs are aiming to:

Involve all relevant governmental institutions in an effort to implement integrated land and water resources management and harmonise existing policy frameworks at the national level, and
Contribute to the preparation, review and adoption of key DIKTAS outputs.

It is proposed that if any such governmental level bodies with similar inter-ministerial functions already exist in project countries, they may be used instead and expanded as necessary.

The CIE will be composed of senior government officials of the four countries. It will represent a first step along the way of a systematic commitment to transboundary cooperation in water resources management. Other countries sharing the Dinaric karst groundwater may join the CIE upon their request.NICs and CIE together will represent the key technical-political interface of the project that will discuss, comment and approve the project products such as Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis (TDA), the Environmental Quality Objectives, Environmental Status Indicators and their long term monitoring. Both mechanisms will have a leading role in guiding the process of harmonisation of existing policy and institutional frameworks mainly through the process of endorsing the DIKTAS Strategic Action Programme (SAP).