CHAPTER XXVII

ENVIRONMENT5Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International LakesHelsinki, 17 March 1992Entry into force6 October 1996, in accordance with article 26(1).Registration6 October 1996, No. 33207StatusSignatories26Parties391TextUnited Nations, <i>Treaty Series </i>, vol. 1936, p. 269.The Convention was adopted by the Senior Advisers to the Economic Commission for Europe Governments on Environmental and Water Problems at their Resumed Fifth Session held at Helsinki from 17 to 18 March 1992. The Convention was opened for signature at Helsinki from 17 to 18 March 1992 and was open for signature at United Nations Headquarters in New York until 18 September 1992.

ParticipantSignatureRatification, Accession(a), Acceptance(A), Approval(AA)Albania18 Mar 1992 5 Jan 1994 Austria18 Mar 1992 25 Jul 1996 Azerbaijan 3 Aug 2000 aBelarus29 May 2003 aBelgium18 Mar 1992 8 Nov 2000 Bosnia and Herzegovina 3 Dec 2009 aBulgaria18 Mar 1992 28 Oct 2003 Croatia 8 Jul 1996 aCzech Republic12 Jun 2000 aDenmark<superscript>2</superscript>18 Mar 1992 28 May 1997 AAEstonia18 Mar 1992 16 Jun 1995 European Union18 Mar 1992 14 Sep 1995 AAFinland18 Mar 1992 21 Feb 1996 AFrance<superscript>3</superscript>18 Mar 1992 30 Jun 1998 AAGermany18 Mar 1992 30 Jan 1995 Greece18 Mar 1992 6 Sep 1996 Hungary18 Mar 1992 2 Sep 1994 AAItaly18 Mar 1992 23 May 1996 Kazakhstan11 Jan 2001 aLatvia18 Mar 1992 10 Dec 1996 Liechtenstein19 Nov 1997 aLithuania18 Mar 1992 28 Apr 2000 Luxembourg20 May 1992 7 Jun 1994 Netherlands<superscript>4</superscript>18 Mar 1992 14 Mar 1995 ANorway18 Sep 1992 1 Apr 1993 AAPoland18 Mar 1992 15 Mar 2000 Portugal<superscript>5</superscript> 9 Jun 1992 9 Dec 1994 Republic of Moldova 4 Jan 1994 aRomania18 Mar 1992 31 May 1995 Russian Federation18 Mar 1992 2 Nov 1993 ASerbia27 Aug 2010 aSlovakia 7 Jul 1999 aSlovenia13 Apr 1999 aSpain18 Mar 1992 16 Feb 2000 Sweden18 Mar 1992 5 Aug 1993 Switzerland18 Mar 1992 23 May 1995 Turkmenistan29 Aug 2012 aUkraine 8 Oct 1999 aUnited Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland18 Mar 1992 Uzbekistan 4 Sep 2007 aAustriaDeclaration:"The Republic of Austria declares in accordance with article 22 paragraph 2 of the Convention, that it accepts both of the means of dispute settlement mentioned in this paragraph as compulsory in relation to any Party accepting an obligation concerning one or both these means of dispute settlement."France<superscript>3</superscript><right>3 January 1999</right>Declaration:The Government of the French Republic, in approving the Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes, declares that reference to the concept of reasonable and equitable use of transboundary waters does not constitute recognition of a principle of customary law, but illustrates a principle of cooperation between Parties to the Convention; the scope of such cooperation is specified in agreements, to which the Convention between States bordering the same transboundary waters - such agreements being concluded on the basis of equality and reciprocity.GermanyDeclaration made upon signature and confirmed upon ratification:"The Federal Republic of Germany, in order to protect information related to personal data according to its national law, reserves the right to supply personal data only under the condition that the part receiving such protected information shall respect the confidentiality of the information received and the conditions under which it is supplied, and shall only use that information for the purposes for which it was supplied".LiechtensteinDeclaration:<i>[Same declaration, identical in essence </i>, mutatis mutandis, <i>as the one made under Austria.] </i>LithuaniaDeclaration:“The Republic of Lithuania declares that, for a dispute not resolved in accordance with paragraph 1 of Article 22 it accepts the means of dispute settlement provided in paragraph 2 (b) of Article 22 of the said Convention.”NetherlandsDeclaration made upon signature and confirmed upon acceptance:"The Kingdom of the Netherlands accepts for a dispute not resolved in accordance with paragraph 1 of article 22 of the Convention both the following means of dispute settlement as compulsory in relation to any Party accepting the same obligation:( <i>a </i>) Submission of the dispute to the International Court of Justice;( <i>b </i>) Arbitration in accordance with the procedure set out in annex IV."SerbiaDeclaration made upon accesion:“In accordance with Article 22 paragraph 2 of the Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes, the Republic of Serbia declares that, for a dispute not resolved in accordance with paragraph 1 of the Article 22, it accepts both means of dispute settlement in the manner and under the conditions referred to in Article 22 paragraphs 2 and 3.”SpainReservation:In relation to article 3, paragraph 1 (c), the Spanish State takes it that the limits for waste-water discharges stated in permits shall guarantee, in any case, respect for the water-quality criteria of the receiving environment, based on the best available technologies and the technical features of the affected installation, its geographical site and local environmental conditions.1For the purpose of entry into force of the [Convention/Protocol] , any instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession deposited by a regional economic integration organization shall not be counted as additional to those deposited by member States of that Organization.2With reservation of application to the Faroe Islands and Greenland.3On 14 August 1998, the Government of France made a declaration with respect to the above Convention. The said declaration was communicated to all Contracting States by a depositary notification. Within a period of 90 days from the date of the depositary notification (i.e. 5 October 1998), none of the Contracting States to the Convention notified the Secretary-General of an objection. Consequently, the declaration is deemed to have been accepted for deposit on 3 January 1999.4For the Kingdom in Europe.5On 28 June 1999, the Government of Portugal informed the Secretary-General the the Convention would also apply to Macau. See note 1 under "Portugal" in the "Historical Information" section in the front matter of this volume.