China-Europe Water Platform Status of Water Quality Co-Lead Programme Tuomas Valtonen Director of Unit, Technology Research Center, University of Turku, Finland European coordinator of CEWP Water Quality Co-Lead Programme Member of Board of Directors, European Technology Platform for Water WssTP Presentation for expert mission co-financed by the European Environmental Technical Assistance and Information Exchange Facility (TAIEF), March 21, 2016, at Ministry of Water Resources, Beijing, People s Republic of China. 1
China-Europe Water Platform The China-Europe Water Platform (CEWP) was launched at the 6th World Water Forum in Marseille, France, in March 2012, when a CEWP Joint Statement was signed between the Ministry of Water Resources of the People s Republic of China and the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, represented by the Danish Minister of the Environment. The CEWP was built upon the EU-China Co-operation River Basin Management Program, which took place during 2007 2012. 2
China-Europe Water Platform The overall objective of the CEWP is to promote policy dialogue, joint research and business development in the water sector between People s Republic of China and the EU and its Member States. It opens a new chapter in the cooperation between China and Europe based on mutual interest, benefit and funding, thus emphasising that it is a co-operation between equal partners. 3
A New Era for CEWP from 2015 In May 2015, Mr. Chen Lei, Minister of Water Resources of the People s Republic of China, together with high-level representatives from Austria, Denmark, Finland, France, Ireland, the Netherlands, Portugal and Sweden, signed the Declaration for the CEWP at the CEWP Annual High-Level Meeting in Copenhagen, Denmark. The declaration reaffirmed the commitment from all parties to work together to find solutions for global water-related challenges. The United Kingdom also later joined as a signatory of the declaration. 4
CEWP Work Programme 2015-17 In May 2015, the new CEWP Work Programme for 2015-17 was also approved. In the Work Programme, four top-level Focus Areas (FAs) are defined: 1. Rural Water and Food Security 2. Water and Urbanisation 3. Water and Energy Security 4. Water Management and Ecological Security 5
CEWP Co-Lead Programmes 1. Rural Water and Food Security Groundwater (Denmark China) Irrigation (Spain China) 2. Water and Urbanisation Integrated Urban Water Management (Denmark China) Flood Risk Management & Dike Safety (Netherlands China) 6
CEWP Co-Lead Programmes 3. Water and Energy Security Water & Energy Nexus (Sweden, United Kingdom China) Small Scale Hydropower (Austria China) 4. Water Management and Ecological Security River Basin Management (France China) Water Quality (Finland China) Restoration, Ecosystem Services & Biodiversity (Portugal China) 7
Policy Support Facility Funding The European Union s Policy Support Facility (PSF) aims at giving EU Member State governments practical support to identify, implement and evaluate reforms to enhance the quality of their public funding. It supports government officials from other countries to peer review the effectiveness of research and innovation policies and provides access to independent high level expertise and analysis. In 2015, CEWP Co-Leads have prepared PSF funding applications, and funding can be expected in Q3-Q4/2016 covering visits of European and Chinese experts, as well as formulation of expert reports. 8
Partnership Instrument Funding In the past, the interaction of the EU with many countries around the world focused on development cooperation. The EU s Partnership Instrument (PI) offers a new approach by focusing on policy cooperation. In particular, it allows the EU to establish a wider political dialogue with emerging partners, also supports the EU s relations with more advanced countries outside of the scope of bilateral development aid. In 2015, CEWP Co-Leads have prepared a broad PI funding application, and funding for each of the four Focus Areas can be expected from Q1/2017. 9
PI Water mgmt and ecological security Background studies in Focus Area (FA) on Water management and ecological security: Policy paper on elaboration of River Basin Management Plans with stakeholders participatory approach in China Vulnerability studies Study and policy paper on river restoration Study on evolution of standards for water quality Study on opportunities of transboundary cooperation for China in one of its international basins 10
PI Water mgmt and ecological security Case studies in FA on Water management and ecological security: Case study on the restoration of the Nanxi River Case study on water quality & restoration of Lake Taihu & Pyhäjärvi Case study on benchmarking and enhancing partnership between different economic sectors and public authorities Pilot project on Integrated Water Resources Management at basin level in one of the transprovincial basins of China Case study on valuation methods of payments for ecosystems services for pricing of compensation in the Xin an river basin 11
CEWP Water Quality Co-Lead Finland is the European Coordinator of the CEWP Co-Lead Programme for Water Quality. In Europe, coordination of Co-Lead activities is managed by the University of Turku, in collaboration with the Finnish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, the Finnish Environment Institute, Pyhäjärvi Institute, Aalto University, Finnish Water Forum, and ELY Centre Southwest Finland. In China, coordination is managed by China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, in collaboration with the Ministry of Water Resources of the People s Republic of China. 12
CEWP Water Quality Co-Lead Collaboration with other Co-Lead Programmes: Groundwater: Joint expert mission Jinan Beijing (Nov 2015), Joint workshop Beijing (Mar 2016) Integrated Urban Water Management: Joint actions planned within CEWP Partnership Instrument (PI) project Flood Risk Management & Dike Safety: Collaboration of twinning activities in Taihu Lake region (under discussion) River Basin Management; Restoration, Ecosystem Services & Biodiversity: Joint Focus Area actions planned within PI project 13
Upcoming Milestones This year s China-Europe Water Platform (CEWP) High-Level Conference on July 8, 2016 in Guiyang, China European Policy Support Facility funding for CEWP activities available in Q3-Q4/2016 European Partnership Instrument funding for CEWP activities available in Q1/2017 Next year s China-Europe Water Platform (CEWP) High-Level Conference on September 19-20, 2017 in Turku, Finland 14
Thank you! 15