Water is a prerequisite of life and an essential resource for the economy. That is why the EU water policy is focused on ensuring access to good quality water in sufficient quantity for all Europeans, securing good status of all water bodies, as well as on the preservation and sustainable management of water resources across Europe.

In 2000, the European Union adopted the Water Framework Directive (WFD). It requires EU Member States to prepare River Basin Management Plans, because it was concluded that the best model for a single system of water management is management by river basin.

This project aimed to contribute to the implementation of the WFD in Montenegro and all other water-related directives through the provision of an operational and efficient monitoring network and development of the River Basin Management Plans for the Adriatic and Danube river basins.

The project supported the preparation of the River Basin Management Plans for the Adriatic and Danube river basins in line with the EU standards, while public consultations were conducted in accordance with the WFD.

Furthermore, it helped set up a Water Monitoring System, upgrade institutional capacities for monitoring and provide various training programmes for key stakeholders. In short, the project helped establish the necessary conditions for improved water resources management in the country, in line with the WFD requirements.