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The aim of this work is to highlight the importance of biological invasions (BI) in the Danube River Basin (DRB), to discuss the significance of the European Southern Invasive Corridor (the trajectory that links the Black and Northern Seas via the Danube River, Rhine–Main Canal and the Rhine river) for the BI process, as well as to summarize European legislation, standardisation and guidance documents related to invasive alien species (IAS). Recently, aquatic invasions have become an important issue. Non-indigenous species were recorded among all groups of aquatic organisms – algae, vascular plants, macroinvertebrates, fish and fish parasites. Parts of European inland waterways that are highly populated by non-native aquatic species are probably irreversibly changed with respect to their native biodiversity. BI can also cause different socio-economic consequences. In the case of the DRB, the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR) acts as the coordinating body for multilateral and basin-wide actions related to water management, which involve resolving the issue of the IAS. Within the frame of the ICPDR activities, a risk assessment tool has been developed, as well as an approach to evaluate pressure caused by biological invasions for water bodies in the DRB. The list of alien aquatic taxa for the Danube River was prepared (three Cyanobacteria, seven algae species, 17 aquatic vascular plants, 51 aquatic macroinvertebrate and 32 fish species). Based on the Risk Assessment Procedure (the IAS–RAP–Danube) the "Black List" for the Danube River has been developed. The list includes 16 macroinvertebrate and ten fish and 13 aquatic macrophyte species. For the purpose of assessment of pressure caused by biological invasions, we are working on the development and testing of the Bioinvasion Assessment Index (BAI). The BAI is based on the assessment of a relative contribution of non-indigenous taxa to the analysed community. Based on the above, the DRB is specific and complex and it could be considered a scientific paradigm – a unique pattern, ideal model for study of BI phenomena. ; Сврха овог рада је да се истакне значај биолошких инвазија у сливу реке Дунав, размотри значај Европског јужног инвазивног коридора (путање која повезује Црно и Северно море преко Дунава, Канала Рајна – Мајна и реке Рајне) за процес биолошких инвазија. Поред тога, у раду се даје преглед европског за- конодавства, докумената за стандардизацију и смерница у вези са инвазивним страним врстама. Акватичке инвазије су недавно постале значајно питање. Алохтоне врсте забележене су међу свим групама акватичких организама - алги, васкуларних биљки, макроинвертебрата, риба и рибљих паразита. Делови европских унутрашњих водених путева који су густо насељени алохтоним акватичним врстама вероватно су неповратно измењени у погледу њиховог изворног биодиверзитета. Биолошка инвазија може такође изазвати различите социо-економске последице. Кад је реч о сливу Дунава, Међународна комисија за заштиту Дунава (ICPDR) наступа као координационо тело за мултилатералне активности и активности широм слива које се односе на водопривреду и тичу се решавања питања инвазивних страних врста. У оквиру активности Међународне комисије за заштиту Дунава, развијен је механизам процене ризика и приступ процене притиска који узрокују биолошке инвазије у водним телима у сливу Дунава. Израђен је списак страних акватичких таксона за Дунав (три цијанобактерије, седам врста алги, 17 акватичких васкуларних биљака, 51 ак- ватички макроинвертебрат и 32 врсте риба). Путем поступка процене ризика (IAS–RAP–Danube), израђена је "Црна листа" за Дунав. Листа садржи 16 макроинвертебрата, десет врста риба и 13 акватичких врста макрофита. У сврхе процене притиска који је узрокован биолошким инвазијама, радимо на изради и тестирању индекса процене биоинвазије (Bioinvasion Assessment Index). Индекс је заснован на процени релативног доприноса алохтоних таксона анализираној заједници. На основу горенаведеног, слив Дунава је специфичан и комплексан и може се сматрати научном парадигмом – реч је о јединственом обрасцу и идеалном моделу за проучавање феномена биолошких инвазија. ; 8. Конференција академија подунавске регије

In most of Palearctic countries ranked as rich in amphibian diversity the global threats to amphibian populations are prominent. The foremost factors are loss, degradation and fragmentation of habitat, followed by pollution, competition from invasive non-native species (Sommerwerk et al. 2009), increased predatory pressure from domestic animals, and emerging infectious diseases. In combination with economic and political transition, these effects could lead to local extirpation of important fragments of European amphibian diversity. Regarding amphibian species richness, Republic of Serbia is one of top 20 countries in Palearctic region. However, with t he country moving toward market economy, a new problem arose – responsibility for environment protection within the context of a process of privatization. Lack of wastewater management plan, uncontrolled long-term population of watercourses with allochtonous invasive fish species, roadkill and illegal collection for commercial purposes influenced negatively on local amphibian populations. Additional and perhaps specific threat for local amphibian assemblages is disappearance of small and moderate water bodies, primarily in the highlands, either through backfilling or turning into fish ponds. Most of efforts concerning aquatic habitat conservation in the country are focused on bird and fish species (ICPDR National Report 2005) and the protection of specific habitats important for the conservation of amphibians are not adequately addressed. Although the general protection of inland water habitats and wetlands contributes to the conservation of amphibians, the specific small-sized habitats of particular importance for amphibians should be identified and protected. Analysis of surveys related to identification, mapping and classification of amphibian important habitats showed apparent degree of their fragility and thus further work in this matter should be carried out in order to propose and implement adequate conservation measures. The monitoring of amphibians is not widespread in the area and must be intensified, together with proper and frequent education about the importance of amphibian conservation, not just through ordinary educational programmes but among citizens in general. Recent history and current problems with political transitions make biodiversity conservation even more difficult than before, and present economic pressures mean that, without direct economic incentive, the people of the area will not be motivated to preserve amphibians' breeding sites.

Intro -- Series Preface -- Preface -- Contents -- Transboundary Water Cooperation for Sustainable Development of the Sava River Basin -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Background of Cooperation -- 2.1 General Characteristics of the Basin -- 2.2 The Need for a Balanced Approach to Development -- 2.3 The Need for an International Framework for Cooperation -- 3 Legal and Institutional Framework for Cooperation -- 3.1 Framework Agreement on the Sava River Basin -- 3.2 International Sava River Basin Commission -- 4 Approach to Cooperation -- 4.1 The Scope of Cooperation -- 4.1.1 River Basin Management -- 4.1.2 Flood Management -- 4.1.3 Accident Prevention and Control -- 4.1.4 Information Exchange and Management -- 4.1.5 Rehabilitation and Development of Navigation -- 4.1.6 Development of River Tourism -- 4.1.7 Promotion of Cooperation -- 4.2 Key Features of the Approach -- 4.2.1 Cohesiveness -- 4.2.2 Integrated Nature -- 4.2.3 Alignment with the UNECE and EU Regulations and Strategies -- 4.2.4 Complementarity with the Processes on the Danube Basin Level -- 4.2.5 Pragmatism and Practicality -- 4.2.6 Educative Character -- 4.3 Challenges and Obstacles -- 4.4 Vision of the Future Cooperation -- 5 Conclusion -- References -- Climate Change Impact on Flood Hazard in the Sava River Basin -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Hydrological Model of the Sava River Watershed -- 3 Data Transformation for Hydrological Forecasts of Climate Change Impacts -- 4 Results of Climate Change Modelling -- 5 Climate Change Impact on Probability of Flood Peaks -- 6 Conclusions -- References -- Climate Projections for the Sava River Basin -- 1 Introduction -- 1.1 The Role of Global Climate Models in Impact Assessment -- 1.2 The Dynamical Downscaling: Regional Climate Models -- 1.3 The Uncertainty Cascade -- 1.4 Bias Correction of RCM Simulations -- 2 The Data.

The Rivers of Montenegro: Introductory Remarks -- The Hydrology and Hydrogeology of Montenegro -- The utilization of the hydropower potential of rivers in Montenegro -- Drainage basins of Montenegro under climate change -- The Change in the Water Chemistry of the Rivers of Montenegro over a 10-Year Period -- Impact of pollution on rivers in Montenegro – ecotoxicological perspective -- Microbiological Water Quality of Rivers in Montenegro -- The Biodiversity and Biogeographical Characteristics of the River Basins of Montenegro -- Vegetation in ravine habitats of Montenegro -- The Intermittent Rivers of South Montenegro: Ecology and Biomonitoring -- Application of Google Earth in mapping intermittent rivers of Montenegro -- Do Molluscs Assemblages Reflect River Typology: a case study of Montenegro -- The Rivers of Montenegro – from Conflicts to Science-based Management. .

This work aims to review the state of water management practice in Western Balkan Countries (WBCs) and the implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC - WFD), to point out weaknesses and to suggest progress actions. The Balkans is an area surrounded by the Adriatic, Ionian and Black seas. The Western Balkans include countries with the perspective to accede to the EU. A major share of relevant EU legislation has been transposed to national regulations in WBCs. Descriptions of the typology and water bodies have been completed in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Serbia, while in Albania, Kosovo and North Macedonia the process has been initiated. Water monitoring programs in WBCs, which refer to surface and groundwater, are at different levels of development. A low share of surface water bodies is covered by monitoring results that are less than 8%. Monitoring of biological quality elements (BQE) was undertaken in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, N. Macedonia and Serbia, but not all BQEs are covered. A rough estimate indicates that 54.49% of waterbodies failed to achieve good ecological status and measures need to be undertaken. Transitional and coastal waters are relevant for Albania, Bosnia and Hercegovina and Montenegro; WFD compliant monitoring has started only in Montenegro. It is important to increase the institutional capacity in WBCs, improve regional cooperation with the support of Member States, work on the identification of river basin-specific pollutants, support the use of advanced methods (molecular taxonomy and eDNA) and involve research in the advancement of status assessment. ; Joksimović A, editor. Book of Abstracts: International Conference Adriatic Biodiversity Protection AdriBioPro2022; 2022 Jun 13-17; Kotor, Montenegro. Kotor, Montenegro : University of Montenegro, Institute of Marine Biology; 2022. p. 60.

The paper presents work carried out with the objective of the implementation of the European Union Water Framework Directive. The data on communities of water organisms, together with the abiotic parameters, are used to define the typology, the type of specifically reference conditions and the ecological status index, which present a basis for establishing a system of monitoring the ecological status/potential of the waters in Serbia. The results of the obtained investigations are used also in the continuation of this work in making a database on the biodiversity of landlocked bodies of water in the territory of Serbia. The investigations include phytoplankton, phytobenthos, aquatic macroinvertebrate, and ichthyofauna, as well as the biological elements used in the process of the implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive. Furthermore, fish parasites are a subject of investigations for the reason that the level of parasite presence could have a significant effect on the structure of the community, and can consequently be used as a biological parameter for the ecological status/potential. The study covers all types of moving water. Field research is conducted with the aim of compiling complete data on certain biological components of moving waters. . ; U radu se prikazuju istraživanja koja se sprovode u cilju primene Okvirne direktive o vodama Evropske Unije (EU). Podaci o zajednicama vodenih organizama, uz abiotičke parametre, koriste se za definisanje tipologije, tip specifično referentnih uslova i indeksa ekološkog statusa, što predstavlja osnovu za ustanovljavanje sistema monitoringa ekološkog statusa/potencijala voda u Srbiji. Rezultati sprovedenih istraživanja koriste se i u nastavku rada na izradi baze podataka o biodiverzitetu kopnenih voda na području Srbije. Istraživanja obuhvataju fitoplankton, fitobentos, vodene makrobeskičmenjake i ihtiofaunu, kao biološke elemente korišćene u procesu primene Okvirne direktive o vodama EU. Pored toga, paraziti riba su predmet istraživanja iz razloga što nivo parazitiranosti može značajno da utiče na strukturu zajednice, te se može koristiti kao biološki parametar ekološkog statusa/potencijala. Studija obuhvata sve tipove tekućih voda. Terenska istraživanja se obavljaju sa ciljem upotpunjavanja i kompletiranja podataka o pojedinim biološkim komponentama tekućih voda. .

Fish samples of different species (i.e. rainbow trout (Onchorhynchus mykiss), barbel (Barbus barbus) and European chub (Squalius cephalus)) were collected from the Sava River Basin for a preliminary investigation of the levels of PCDD/Fs, PCBs, PBDEs and PFAS as a whole. Concentrations of PCDD/Fs, in terms of pg WHO-TEQ/g ww, were below the maximum limit established at the Commission Regulation (EU) No 1259/2011. On the contrary, when DL-PCBs were also included, levels increase up to 11.7 pg WHO-TEQPCDD/Fs+DL-PCBs/g ww in a particular case, with two samples out of a total of ten exceeding the maximum set at this EU Regulation and the EQS established at the European Directive regarding priority substances in the field of water policy (0.0065 ng WHO-TEQPCDD/Fs+DL-PCBs/g ww). A similar trend was also observed for NDL-PCBs, whit the same two samples, from the lower stretch of the river basin, exceeding the maximum limit allowed at the EU Regulation (125 ng/g ww). For PBDEs, levels found in all the samples exceeded the EQS (0.0085 ng/g ww) up to more than a thousand times and 40% of the samples presented PFOS values above the EQS. Data from this study were compared to values reported at the literature for fish from other geographical areas. © 2018 ; The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Communities 7th Framework Programme under Grant Agreement No. 603629-ENV-2013-6.2.1-GLOBAQUA and Grant Agreement No. 603437-ENV-2013-SOLUTIONS projects. This work was also funded by the Generalitat de Catalunya (Consolidated Research Groups 2017 SGR 1404 - Water and Soil Quality Unit). M. Llorca wants to acknowledge her Juan de la Cierva – Incorporación research fellowship (JdC-2014-21736) from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness. J. Parera is also grateful to the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness for a Juan de la Cierva – Formación research fellowship (FJCI-2015-26722). Appendix A ; Peer reviewed

Accurate and complete environmental information is at the basis of any effective sustainable development policy. This report summarises for the first time the status of air, climate, water and soil in the Western Balkans (WB), describing current knowledge as of 2021 and gaps with respect to the EU aquis in order to: a) benchmark the progress during the accession process, and b) support the implementation of the Green Agenda for the WB with particular reference to depollution and decarbonisation priorities. This information is also relevant for the EU Green Deal zero pollution ambition, as depollution in WB also reduces pollutant levels in neighbouring EU Member States. Despite significant improvements in the alignment of the climate and GHG emissions monitoring and reporting legislation and the good progress in the areas of air and water pollution in the latest two years, the EU aquis implementation is still lagging. The overall WB air quality situation is still critical and the pollution trend is often upwards, despite PM10 and PM2.5 concentration have decreased in certain areas. Due to its dominant impact on mortality, PM2.5 can be considered the main pollutant to target in the WB. The energy sector, in particular coal-fuelled power plants, is the major source of SO2 and CO2 emissions and an important source of other pollutants. It offers a concrete opportunity for co-benefits between air quality and climate policies. The increase in intensity and frequency of summer heatwaves in the latest decades is an indicator of climate change in the WB and the need to design appropriate adaptation plans to cope with it. The status of waterbodies in the WB can generally be assessed as unsatisfactory. In the case of chemical status, 45% of waterbodies assessed failed to reach good status, while in the ecological assessment 54% failed to reach good status. Case studies on antibiotic resistance, as well as effect-based studies on mixtures of pollutants confirmed that aquatic ecosystems, particularly large fluvial rivers, are ...

The present pilot study tested and validated the use of the 'Invasive Alien Species in Europe' smartphone app (IASapp) in the Lower Danube Region. The study was conducted in three stages: (1) Testing the effectiveness of the app in Bulgaria, Romania and Serbia by organizing information and field testing campaigns; (2) Improving and extending the functionality of the app and developing a list of the invasive alien species (IAS) of concern to the Danube River Basin (DRB); and (3) Testing the updated app during the Joint Danube Survey 4 campaign. Overall, 13 campaigns were carried out, during which seven aquatic IAS of EU concern and nine IAS relevant to the DRB were recorded. Currently, the developed new functionality of IASapp allows the recording of 64 IAS of DRB concern. The updated IASapp has an important role in increasing public awareness on IAS issues, as well as in enlarging the participation and output of citizen science in the IAS early detection, monitoring and reporting in the DRB. Therefore, the constant communication with existing stakeholder groups and establishment of new citizen science groups is crucial for increasing the effectiveness of using the IASapp in the Danube Region and tackling the IAS issues.