Vitaliy Barvinenko to Take Part in the 6th Ukrainian National Participation Day within the EU Strategy for the Danube Region

On 24 July 2026, Odesa will host the 6th Ukrainian National Participation Day within the EU Strategy for the Danube Region, dedicated to strengthening dialogue and cross-sectoral cooperation in the field of integrated water resources management.

The event will bring together representatives of central government authorities, international institutions, the academic community, local self-government and civil society. The discussions will focus on aligning Ukraine’s water policy with European Union standards, river basin management, assessment of the environmental consequences of the war and adaptation of aquatic ecosystems to climate change.

Vitaliy Barvinenko, Director of the Institute of Danube Research and Doctor of Law, will take part in the opening of the event. Together with representatives of Ukrainian public authorities, the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River, the EU Strategy for the Danube Region and civil society organisations, he will contribute to the discussion of Ukraine’s strategic priorities in the Danube Basin.

Among the key participants in the 6th National Participation Day are:

Iryna Ovcharenko — Deputy Minister of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine;

Vitaliy Barvinenko — Director of the Institute of Danube Research;

Maria Spanchik — President of the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River;

Birgit Vogel — Executive Secretary of the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River;

Ihor Hopchak — Head of the State Agency of Water Resources of Ukraine;

Claudia Singer-Smith — Coordinator of Priority Area 10 of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region, “Institutional Capacity and Cooperation”;

Stefan August Lütgenau — President of the Danube Civil Society Forum and Director of Foster Europe — Foundation for Strong European Regions;

Ihor Studennikov — Executive Director of the Centre for Regional Studies and member of the Executive Committee of the Danube Civil Society Forum;

Yurii Maslov — Chair of the Lower Danube Basin Council and Head of the Association of Local Self-Government Bodies “EU Strategy for the Danube Region”;

Veniamin Unhurian — Member of the Odesa Regional Council and Deputy Chair of the Lower Danube Basin Council;

Serhii Stepanenko — Chair of the Black Sea Basin Council and Chief Research Fellow at the Institute of Market and Economic and Environmental Research of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine;

Pavlo Bulanovych — Acting Head of the Basin Water Resources Administration for the Rivers of the Black Sea Region and the Lower Danube.

A number of prominent experts in environmental protection and river basin management are also expected to participate.

The National Participation Day is of particular importance during Ukraine’s second presidency of the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River. In 2026, Ukraine is coordinating the efforts of the Danube Basin countries to strengthen water resilience, address the consequences of floods and droughts, assess environmental damage caused by Russian aggression and modernise river basin management mechanisms.

The programme includes three panel discussions. Participants will consider the implementation of the river basin management principle as an element of Ukraine’s European integration, mechanisms for documenting environmental damage in the Danube Delta sub-basin and the role of civil society in restoring water resources.

Particular attention will be paid to the activities of river basin councils, implementation of the Danube River Basin Management Plan, results of field studies into the impact of hostilities on aquatic and marine ecosystems, and environmental restoration practices in the Ukrainian part of the Danube Region.

Comment by Vitaliy Barvinenko, Director of the Institute of Danube Research

“Ukraine’s presidency of the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River provides a unique opportunity to strengthen our country’s role in shaping a common European water policy. For Ukraine, the Danube is not only a natural ecosystem, but also a strategic transport, economic and humanitarian space.

Today, it is especially important to ensure the meaningful participation of territorial communities, researchers, civil society organisations and business representatives in decision-making on water resources management. Without such dialogue, it is impossible to properly assess the consequences of the war, prepare effective recovery plans and adapt the Danube Region to climate-related challenges.

The Institute of Danube Research supports the establishment of a permanent platform for cross-sectoral cooperation that would integrate the environmental, economic, security and infrastructure dimensions of the development of the Ukrainian Danube Region.”

The 6th National Participation Day will serve as a platform for developing joint proposals on reforming the water sector, restoring damaged ecosystems and deepening Ukraine’s cooperation with the countries of the Danube Basin.