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Joint Expert Group on Water and Industrial Accidents

The Joint Expert Group of the Water and Industrial Accidents Convention was established in 1998, under the Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (Water Convention) and the Convention on the Transboundary Effects of Industrial Accidents (Industrial Accidents Convention), both serviced by UNECE. Regular meetings of the Joint Expert Group have been held since 2001, when the first meeting took place in Berlin, Germany.
The mission of the Joint Expert Group is to assist countries in drawing up and implementing measures aimed at strengthening the prevention of and preparedness for accidental water pollution, especially in a transboundary context. In 2009, both Conventions agreed on a JEG Strategy, regulating the mandate, activation and functions of the Joint Expert Group. JEG’s work on strengthening the prevention of accidental water pollution, including its potential transboundary effects, is in line with the Industrial Accidents Convention’s long-term strategy until 2030 and the principles of the Water Convention being open for accession to all United Nations members States.
Workplans of the Joint Expert Group on Water and Industrial Accidents   
Recent workplan periods Language
   2019-2020 ENG RUS
   2017-2018 ENG RUS
   2015-2016 ENG RUS


The Joint Expert Group’s key activities
In 2018, the Joint Expert Group celebrated its 20th anniversary, which provided an opportunity to celebrate the Group’s key achievements since its establishment, such as the following:
1. Development of guidance materials and cheklists:
2. Facilitation of international response exercises, workshops and seminars:
  • Polish-Russian Transboundary Response Exercise “KOTKI 2002” (June 2002)

  • German-Polish exercise on the Joint Management of Transboundary Emergencies (September 2009)

  • Romanian-Ukrainian-Moldovan field exercise in the Danube Delta (September 2015)

  • German-Polish transboundary response exercise and International Seminar on Fire-Water Retention (September 2017)

  • Hungarian accidental water pollution exercise on the Danube River (October 2018)

3. Support to assistance activities and projects on prevention and preparedness measures:


Promotional materials

A brochure on the Joint Expert Group provides an overview of its history and purpose, why the Group is important, the key areas of work, achievements and outputs, and how to get involved.

A series of Postcards have been developed, available on the Industrial Accidents Convention’s publication webpage, which provide a brief overview of the safety guidelines and good practices developed by the Joint Expert Group, including the:

 
Current JEG Members, stakeholders and contacts

The Joint Expert Group brings together the industrial safety and water management communities and cooperates with international river commissions, universities, operators, NGOs, national and local authorities and other stakeholders.
 

Country JEG Member Title
Belarus Ms. Lubov Hertman Head of Hydrology and Water Protection Territories Department of the republican unitary enterprise "Central Research Institute for the Complex Use of Water Resources"
Czech Republic Mr. Pavel Dobeš R&D and academic worker, VSB-Technical University of Ostrava Faculty of Safety Engineering
Czech Republic Mr. Pavel Danihelka Professor, Head of Laboratory of Risk Research and Management, Faculty of Safety Engineering, VSB - Technical University of Ostrava
Finland Ms. Anna Pääkkönen Finnish Safety and Chemicals Agency (Tukes) , Finland
Germany Mr. Gerd Winkelmann-Oei WOR, German Federal  Environment Agency
Ghana Ms. Esi Esuon Biney Chief Ecologist of the Water Resources Commission, and Alternate National Focal Point for the Volta Basin Authority
Hungary Mr. Péter Kovács (Co-Chair) Head of Department, Vice-Chair of the Bureau of the UNECE Water Convention, Department of River Basin Management and Water Protection
Kazakhstan Mr. Serik Akhmetov Director, International Water Assessment Centre
Kyrgyzstan Mr. Maratbek Ermatov Specialist of the Department of Industrial Safety Regulation of the Ministry of Natural Resources, Ecology and Technical Supervision
North Macedonia Ms. Lendita Dika   State Counsellor for Industrial Pollution and Risk management, Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning
North Macedonia Mr. Ylber Mirta Head of Department for Waters, Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning
Rep. of Moldova Mr. Vitalii Mutaf  Head of the Security and Prevention Service of the Technical University of Moldova, University lecturer and colonel of the service rescue (reserve)
Romania Mr. Zoltán Török Assoc. Professor, Manager of Research Institute for Sustainability and Disaster Management, Babes-Bolyai University
Serbia Mr. Bojan Srdic (Co-Chair) Ministry of Environmental Protection of the Republic of Serbia
Serbia Ms. Radojka Radojevic Stojilovic Ministry of Interior
Slovakia Ms. Danka Thalmeinerova Ministry of Environment
Ukraine Mr. Yevhen Morshch Chief inspector of the emergency and rescue services and interaction with the executive authorities unit of the Technogenic Safety Division, Emergency Prevention Department, SESU
Ukraine Ms. Iryna Grokhovetska Chief of the Division on Organization of Work within Hydrometeorology Department, SESU
Observer Mr. Adam Kovacs Technical Expert - Pollution Control, ICPDR

 

All United Nations Member States are encouraged to support and take part in the activities of the Joint Expert Group on Water and Industrial Accidents, and to promote and make use of its guidance materials, in order to enhance prevention, preparedness and response to accidental transboundary water pollution across the globe.
For more information about the Joint Expert Group, its current and planned activities and its guidance materials, please contact the: