7 May 2013: The Secretariat of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar Convention) has reported that the Governments of Romania and Bulgaria have requested the Ramsar Secretariat to recognize three earlier-listed Ramsar Sites, part of the Lower Danube Green Corridor, as Transboundary Ramsar Sites.

According to the Ramsar Secretariat, in a joint letter of 15 April 2013, Rovana Plumb, Romania’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change, and Julian Popov, Bulgaria’s Minister of Environment and Waters, request the Secretariat to recognize the following, already listed Ramsar Sites, as Transboundary Ramsar Sites: Lake Calarasi (Iezerul Calarasi) (Romania) – Srebarna (Bulgaria); Suhaia (Romania) – Belene Islands Complex (Bulgaria); and Bistret (Romania) – Ibisha Island (Bulgaria).

The designation is made pursuant to Article 5 of the Ramsar Convention that states, ‘The Contracting Parties shall consult with each other about implementing obligations arising from the Convention especially in the case of a wetland extending over the territories of more than one Contracting Party or where a water system is shared by Contracting Parties. They shall at the same time endeavor to coordinate and support present and future policies and regulations concerning the conservation of wetlands and their flora and fauna.’

Through the designation of the Transboundary Sites, the two countries apply an ecosystem approach and promote their cross-border cooperation. There are presently 16 Transboundary Ramsar Sites, 15 of them in the European region and one in Africa. [Transboundary Ramsar Sites Website] [Ramsar Press Release]