8. Western Europe

Abstract

Editorial note: Due to unforeseen circumstances, we were unable to include the 2019 report in last year’s volume, and, for that reason, it is included here. 2019 Report On 8 January, the Portuguese Republic deposited its instrument of accession to the 2001 International Convention on the Control of Harmful Anti-fouling Systems on Ships. Entry into force occurred on 8 April. Two main issues remain critical for international river basins: water quantity and quality. Minimum water flows delivered by Spanish dams, although in compliance with the 1998 Convention on the Co-operation for the Protection and Sustainable Use of the Water Resources of the Portuguese–Spanish River Basins (Albufeira Convention), do not qualify as adequate from an ecological water flow perspective. Poor water quality reaching the international border remains a serious problem, especially in the Tagus and Guadiana river basins. During the summer of this year,...