AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT OF THE SLOVAK REPUBLIC AND GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF HUNGARY CONCERNING CERTAIN TEMPORARY TECHNICAL MEASURES AND DISCHARGES IN THE DANUBE AND MOSONI BRANCH OF THE DANUBE

The Government of the Slovak Republic

and

the Government of the Republic of Hungary

have agreed as follows:

Article 1

1. Immediately following the conclusion of this Agreement, the Slovak Party will increase the discharge of water through the intake structure at Čunovo into the Mosoni branch of the Danube to 43 m3/s subject to hydrological and technical conditions specified in Annex 1 to this Agreement. This value includes the flow of water through the seepage canal on the right side of the reservoir from Slovak territory into Hungarian territory. 

2. The competent Slovak and Hungarian authorities shall take all necessary measures on their respective territories to enable the continuous flow of the increased discharge of water from Slovak territory into Hungarian territory.

3. The water will be distributed, on Hungarian territory, between the branch system on the right side of the Danube, the protected area and the Mosoni branch of the Danube.

Article 2

1. The day following the conclusion of this Agreement the discharge into the main riverbed of the Danube below the Čunovo weir will be increased to an annual average of 400 m3/s, in accordance with the rules of operation contained in Annex 2 to this Agreement. Discharges entering the main riverbed of the Danube through the inundation weir are excluded from the average calculation.

2. During the construction of the weir pursuant to Article 3 the discharge into the main riverbed of the Danube below the Čunovo weir will be regulated in accordance with Annex 3 to this Agreement.

Article 3

1. There will be a weir partly overflowed by water and constructed by the Hungarian Party in the main riverbed of the Danube, at rkm 1843. The main parameters of the weir are specified in Annex 4 to this Agreement.

2. The Parties undertake to ensure the issuance, without delay, of the administrative authorization required by their respective national legislation for the construction and maintenance of the weir in accordance with this Agreement.

3. The costs of the construction and maintenance of the weir will be borne by the Republic of Hungary.

4. The construction of the weir will begin not later that 10 days following the conclusion of this Agreement and is anticipated to be completed within a period of 50 days from the commencement of works.

Article 4

The Parties undertake to exchange those data of their environmental monitoring systems operating in the area that are necessary to assess the impacts of the measures envisaged in Articles 1-3. Collected data will be regularly exchanged and jointly and periodically -evaluated with a view to making recommendations to the Parties. The observation sites, parameters observed, periodicity of data exchange, the methodology and periodicity or joint assessment are contained in Annex 5 to this Agreement.

Article 5

1. In the event that either Party believes the other Party is not complying with this Agreement, and fail to persuade the other Party that it is in breach, the Party may invoke the good offices of the Commission of the European Union and both Parties agree to give close cooperation to the Experts of the Commission and to take duly into consideration any opinion rendered by them.

2. If, for whatever reason, the good offices are not provided or are unsuccessful and the material breach continues to exist, the Party affected will be entitled to terminate this Agreement with a one month notice.

Article 6

This Agreement has a temporary character, pending the judgment of the International Court of Justice in the case concerning the Gabčíkovo - Nagymaros Project and is without prejudice to existing rights and obligations of the Parties as well as to their respective positions in the dispute before the Court and, in any event, unless otherwise agreed, it shall terminate 14 days after the judgment of the International Court of Justice in the case concerning the Gabčíkovo-Nagymaros Project.

Article 7

On the termination of this Agreement and unless otherwise agreed or decided, Hungary shall at its own expense remove the weir referred to in Article 3.

Article 8

This Agreement shall enter into force on the date of its signature.

Done at Budapest on the 19 day of April, 1995, in duplicate, in the Slovak, Hungarian and English languages, the English text to prevail in the event of any discrepancy.

 

For the Government of the Slovak Republic

For the Government of the Republic of Hungary

 

Annex No. 1

Hydrological and technical conditions for the increase of the discharges into the Mosoni Danube

1/  The increase of the discharge into the Mosoni Danube and into the right side seepage canal of the Hrušov reservoir from 20 m3/sec up to 43 m3/sec will be ensured subject to the following hydrological and technical conditions:

1.1 Provided that minimum difference between the water-level of the Mosoni Danube and the Hrušov reservoir is 5.10 m.

1.2 Provided that the minimum water level of the Hrušov reservoir is 130.40 m above sea level.

1.3 Provided that the water-level of the Mosoni Danube does not exceed 125.30 m above sea level.

1.4 Provided that the entrances to the intake structure are unobstructed. Whenever the discharges of the Danube exceed 4000 m3/sec (involving the inundation of the flood-plain), the water-borne materials will move to a greater extent this may restrict the amount of water which can be provided.

1.5 Provided that there is no failure in the electricity network system. If the network system is damaged or in the event of any other failure of the generating capacity, the energy system will turn off automatically and the capacity of the intake structure will be reduced to halt of the original.

2/  At the request of the Hungarian party the Slovak Party will moderate the discharge for a period specified by the Hungarian party.

3/  The selected site for the measuring of the discharge of the Mosoni Danube is a gauge at 0.160 km on the left bank of the canal on the territory of the Slovak Republic. The selected site for the measuring of the discharge of the right side canal of the Hrušov reservoir is on the regulating weir at 1.100 km on the territory of the Hungarian Republic.

Annex No. 2

Rules of operation

The volume of water discharged through the Čunovo weir into the main river bed of the Danube to correspond to the annual average of 400 m3/sec. ­

The annual average discharge in Bratislava corresponds to 2025 m3/sec. The annual average discharge into the main Danube river bed in each specific year will correspond to the formula:

  

where :

- VDevín  is the average yearly discharge in the Devin profile in the specific year.

- V Danube is the average yearly discharge to the main Danube river bed in the specific year.

- During the growing season the discharge into the main river bed will be higher than during the dormant season.

- The discharge into the main river bed of the Danube will correspond to actual discharges in the Devin profile.

- The discharges released through the inundation weir during flood will not be included in the calculation.

The discharges in the Devin profile together with the corresponding discharges at the Čunovo weir.

         January       February        March            April             May             June

        600  250      600  250       600  250       600  400       600  400       600  400

      2200  250     2000  250     1500  250     1100  400       700  400       700  400

      2300  251     2100  258     1600  250     1200  400       800  400       800  400

      2400  273     2200  280     1700  271     1300  400       900  400       900  400

      2500  295     2300  301     1800  392     1400  400     1000  400     1000  418

      2600  317     2400  323     1900  314     1500  400     1100  400     1100  440

      2700  339     2500  345     2000  336     1600  400     1200  400     1200  462

      2800  360     2600  367     2100  358     1700  400     1300  440     1300  483

      2900  382     2700  389     2200  380     1800  400     1400  405     1400  505

      3000  404     2800  410     2300  401     1900  414     1500  427     1500  527

      3100  426     2900  432     2400  423     2000  436     1600  449     1600  549

      3200  448     3000  454     2500  445     2100  458     1700  471     1700  571

      3300  469     3100  476     2600  467     2200  480     1800  592     1800  592

      3400  591     3200  498     2700  489     2300  501     1900  514     1900  600

      3500  513     3300  519     2800  510     2400  523     2000  536     4600  600

      3600  535     3400  541     2900  532     2500  545     2100  558      

      3700  557     3500  563     3000  554     2600  567     2200  580     

      3800  578     3600  585     3100  576     2700  589     2344  600     

      3900  600     3700  600     3200  600     2800  600     4600  600     

      4600  600     4600  600     4600  600     4600  600  

           July           August       September     Október       November    December

        600  400       600  400       600  250      600  250       600  250       600  250

        700  400       900  400     1100  250     1500  250     1800  250     2000  250

        800  400     1000  400     1200  262     1600  250     1900  264     2100  258

        900  400     1100  400     1300  283     1700  271     2000  286     2200  280

      1000  400     1200  400     1400  305     1800  292     2100  308     2300  301

      1100  400     1300  400     1500  327     1900  314     2200  330     2400  323

      1200  400     1400  400     1600  349     2000  336     2300  351     2500  345

      1300  400     1500  400     1700  371     2100  358     2400  373     2600  367

      1400  405     1600  400     1800  392     2200  380     2500  395     2700  389

      1500  427     1700  421     1900  414     2300  401     2600  417     2800  410

      1600  449     1800  442     2000  436     2400  423     2700  439     2900  432

      1700  471     1900  464     2100  458     2500  445     2800  460     3000  454

      1800  492     2000  486     2200  480     2600  467     2900  482     3100  476

      1900  514     2100  508     2300  501     2700  489     3000  504     3200  498

      2000  536     2200  530     2400  523     2800  510     3100  526     3300  519

      2100  558     2300  551     2500  545     2900  532     3200  548     3400  541

      2200  580     2400  573     2600  567     3000  554     3300  569     3500  563

      2300  600     2500  595     2700  589     3100  576     3400  591     3600  585

      4600  600     2600  600     2800  600     3200  600     3500  600     3700  600

      4600  600     4600  600     4600  600     4600  600     4600  600

The capacity of the by-pass weir when open under conditions of a minimum water level in the reservoir (which is 128.2 m above sea level), is 290 m3/sec. The discharge of 400 m3/s can be assured under the condition that the water level in the reservoir is 128.45 m above sea level, and 600 m3/sec under conditions of a water level of 129.05 m above sea level.

The water level in the reservoir is lowered only when required for construction or reparation works or when the discharge in Devin is below 925 m3/s.

The possible differences in discharges which will be ascertained through monitoring by 31 Oct. will be adjusted within the shortest possible period by the end of the same year so that the average of 400 m3/sec is attained.

The changes in the discharges through the Čunovo weir will occur at intervals of 200 m3/sec. measured at the Devin site. Thus for instance at 800, 1000, 1200, 1400 ... 2000, 2200 m3/sec.

This distribution of the water resources shall be in force for 1995 and will be adjusted before the 1996 growing season on the basis of the results of a joint evaluation of the monitoring.

Annex No. 3

Annex No. 4

* Main parameters of the weir to be constructed at rkm 1843 of the Danube­

1. The weir which is partly overflowed by water will be constructed at rkm 1843 of the Danube.

2. Main parameters of the weir:

width between banks                            300 m

width of the crest                                  5 m

width of the overflowed section               100 m

height of the center point of the

overflowed section                                 121. 80 B. s .1.

gradient of the downstream slope            1 : 10

gradient of the upstream slope                1 : 3

3. The elevation of the weir crest will be established in such a way that at the discharge of 600 m3/s, the backwater at rkm 1851.7 of the Danube and elevation of 124.00 Bsl would not exceed.

4. The water level regulation at rkm 1843 take place when the discharge of the Danube is between 250-1300 m3/s.

5. A maximum quantity of 150 m3/s will be discharged into the right side branch, system on the Hungarian side.

* Based on the documentation approved under the number

No. VOD 161/A 28/1993-V

No. 21.663/17/1993

Annex No. 5

Matters relating to monitoring of environmental impacts ­

Monitoring is divided into the following monitoring items:

Monitoring of surface water levels and discharges

the Danube:
profile at Devin
profile at Medveďov
profile at Komárno - Komárom
profile at Štúrovo - Fsztergom
profile at Rajka
profile at Dobrohosť
profile at Dunaremete
profile downstream and upstream of overflowed weir at rkm 1843, (water level only)
Reservoir at Čunovo and the Danube downstream and upstream of the by-pass weir (water level only)
Reservoir at Gabčíkovo (water level only)
Tailrace canal downstream of Gabčíkovo (water level only)

Malý Danube:
at Bratislava
at Trstice

Mosoni Duna:
downstream of the intake structure at Čunovo
at Mecsér
at Győr

Structures at Rajka
Seepage canal at Čunovo (on the Slovak territory)
No. 1. Lock of the outlet
No. 2. Lock of the water level control
No. 6. Lock of the water level control - Mosoni Duna
No. 1. Lock of the side branch Kiliti - Cikolai, Zátonyi Duna
No. 5. Lock at the seepage canal

Frequency of measurements: continuous on a daily basis

 

Monitoring of surface water quality

the Danube:

    upstream Bratislava *
at Dobrohosť
at Gabčíkovo
at Medved'ov *
at Gönyű
at Komárno - Komárom
at Štúrovo – Esztergom

Reservoir, bypass canal, seepage canals, river branches:

  • upper part of the reservoir at Rusovce *
  • the reservoir at Kalinkovo (left and right side)
  • downstream of Mosoni Danube the intake structure
  • the profile at Šamorín (left, middle and right side)
  • the power canal at the ferry station
  • the tailwater canal downstream of Gabčíkovo *
  • the seepage canal at Čunovo *
  • the seepage canal at Hamuliakovo
  • the Mosoni Duna at Rajka
  • the Mosoni Duna at Mecsér
  • the Mosoni Duna at Vének
  • the Malý Dunaj at Kolárovo
  • the river branches Helena and Doborgaz
  • the Šulianske river branch

Frequency of measurement:

  • stations marked by * - 12 times per year, between the 10th and 20th of each month,
  • all other stations in: January, March, April, May, June, July, September, November, between the 10th and 20th of each month.

List of parameters:

  • temperature, pH value, conductivity at 25°C, O2
  • cations: Li, Na, K, Ca, NH4, Mn, Mg, Fe
  • anions: HC03, Cl, S04, N03, N02, P04, P
  • trace elements: Hg, Zn, As, Cu, Pb, Cr, Cd, Ni, Vanadium
  • COD, BOD, dissolved materials (mineralization)
  • biological parameters: Saprobility index, bioseston, chlorophyll,
  • number of algae, zooplancton, macrobenthos, according to the decision of the monitoring group,
  • microbiological parameters, coliform bacteria, mezophilic bacteria, psychrophilic bacteria
  • organic matters, TOC, Nonpolar extractable - UV, - IR, EOX, AOX, phenols, humic acids,
  • organic micropollutants, polyaromatic hydrocarbons, - polychlorobiphenyls (and others, to be agreed)

Sediments:

  • at jointly selected stations, e.g. at places of surface water quality sampling,
  • three places in the Slovak and three in the Hungarian flood plain

Extent of parameters:

granulometric curves, organic matters and other selected parameters

Frequency of measurement: once per year in autumn

Monitoring of ground water levels

Monitoring of ground water levels will be carried out on wells between the Malý Danube and the Lajta - Mosoni Danube. Wells to be chosen in profiles based on maps containing all observation wells. [At least at 150 wells on the Slovak territory and at least at 100 wells on the Hungarian territory to be chosen.]

Frequency of measurement: once per week

Monitoring of ground water quality

Ground water quality will be monitored on the municipal water supply [and ground water] wells between the Malý Danube and the Lajta - Mosoni Danube, [at least 10 localities on each territory. In addition to this other at least 10 selected ground water quality wells on each territory] should be monitored. These wells should be those which satisfy hygiene criteria for drinking water wells and sampling should be commonly agreed.

Frequency of measurement: once per month.

Quality should be evaluated according to the standards for drinking water in force in both countries.

Monitoring of soil moisture (aeration zone)

[At least 10] monitoring areas to be selected on each territory from among the localities already monitored.

Frequency of measurement: once every 10 days, but in winter (November, December, January and February) twice a month. Each locality should also include a ground water level monitoring well.

Monitoring of biota:

  • microbenthos and macrobenthos in the Danube and river branches at places of water level measurements
  • fish, in all surface waters
  • [Forestry, on at least 8 selected places from among existing monitoring localities on each side]
  • Special water related organisms as for example: Odonata, Ephemeroptera, Trichopetra, Braconidea and others, jointly selected.

Special monitoring

For the estimation of the impact of the overflowed weir special monitoring to be carried out. This will include measurements of flow velocities, water levels, water quality, micro and macro benthos, sediments, ground water quality in the impounded reach etc.

Submitting of data and reports:

Both sides will use data jointly agreed and will use jointly agreed methods of evaluation. All monitoring items and locations, and methods of measurements to be jointly agreed. Annual reports will include only measured data in tabulated, graphical and map forms with short explanations.

Joint and verification measurements will be carried out at any location where a discrepance occurs.

Data exchange will be carried out at three month intervals. Annual reports to be submitted as joint reports by the end of each calendar year and covering a period or a hydrological year.

Annual reports will be issued in English language with standardised graphical annexes in Hungarian or Slovak languages.

Statute

Monitoring will be carried out in accordance with the Statute of nominated Monitoring Agents.

Statute will be prepared by: Ing. Árpád Kovács, Ministry of Environment (Hungary), Ing. Dominik Kocinger, Government plenipotentiary for the GNP (Slovakia)

Draft statute will be prepared jointly following the signing of this document and before 31. May 1995.

Text in square brackets [] contains Slovak proposals subject to agreement by the Monitoring Agents.