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Danube River Loses in the Hague with Decision on Gabcikovo Dam



New Danube Dam Could Threaten Hungary's Accession to EU

FEBRUARY 18, 1998

(en español)

Construction site for the dam Nagymaros on the Danube River in Hungary.

VIENNA --Hungary's accession to the European Union could be threatened if it signs an agreement with Slovakia backing the construction of new hydro dam on the Danube River, WWF-World Wide Fund For Nature, said today.

In 1992, Slovakia unilaterally opened the hydro dam system of Gabcikovo and diverted the Danube River near the Slovak capital Bratislava on a stretch of about 40 kilometres. Hungary disputed this act. This led to a case at the International Court of Justice in The Hague which was decided last year. The Court ruled for the two governments to negotiate an environmentally sound solution.

Despite this, Slovakian and Hungarian negotiators are now proposing the construction of a second dam near Nagymaros/Hungary, 150 km downstream of Gabcikovo and in the heart of the new nature conservation area "Danube- Ipoly National Park".

Construction of this new dam was originally started in the 1980s but abandoned by Hungary's last Communist regime in 1989 for ecological reasons. It would severely damage the new national park and destroy more than 100 kilometres of river banks along the Danube.

"Hungary will lose all international credibility gained over the last years with its environmental policies if the government goes ahead with these construction plans" says Hartmut Jungius, Director of WWF's Central and East European Programme. "Rebuilding the Communist 'Duna-Saur' dam of Nagymaros would destroy European natural heritage and threatens Hungary's environmental qualification as a future member of the European Union."

Construction site for the dam Nagymaros on the Danube River in Hungary.
WWF recalls the negative impacts of the first hydro dam in Gabcikovo: It caused severe changes to ground- and surface waters, and to the 8,000 hectares of valuable floodplain forests with a high diversity of species. Only recently, WWF published an update on these damages and suggested to resolve the conflict by restoring two-thirds of the Danube water to the original river bed. This was considered by the negotiating parties but not investigated further.

The judges at the International Court found abundant scientific evidence for the Gabcikovo Dam's considerable impacts on the environment. They also reminded both governments of their legal obligation to maintain the quality of the Danube water and to protect nature.

The judges specifically said there was no longer any point in building the Nagymaros dam and that any new solution must comply with the norms of international environmental law.

"Indeed there is no doubt that the new Slovak-Hungarian deal will contradict the Court's prescriptions. This dam must not be built!" said Jungius.

CONTACT:
Philip Weller and Alexander Zinke,
WWF Green Danube Programme,
Tel. +43 1 488 17, OR
Edith Wenger,
Rastatt Floodplains Institute,
Tel. + 49 7222 3807.

WWF is known as World Wildlife Fund in Canada and the United States.