International Law Unlikely To Stop Ukraine from Damaging the Danube Delta

Ukraine is likely to complete the construction of the Bystroe channel in the Danube Delta. Mircea Staras, Romania’s expert to the inquiry commission set up by the Espoo Convention, stated for Jurnalul national that he does not believe the project could be halted.

Three experts will serve on the inquiry commission of the Espoo Convention: one for Ukraine, one for Romania, and an independent one who will also head the commission.
The Commission will get all documentation on the Bystroe channel and will give an opinion on the impact of the works, and propose measures to be taken to the Secretariat of the Epsoo Convention. The Secretariat will in turn be able to order Ukraine to stop the works.

Mircea Staras was named to represent Romania on the Commission as the best specialist in his field. Until recently there was an expectation that Ukraine will postpone things with not naming their own expert, as they so often did when it was about going ahead with the deepening of the Bystroe channel while not considering talks with the Romanian side.

A few days before, however, Ukraine named Ludmila Aniscenko on the Commission. She is a scientist with the Institute in Harkov, for Evaluating the Impact on the Environment.
Staras said he did not know Aniscenko. "I did not read her work. The only thing we do know is that she was not among the group of scientists signing the 30 pages report Ukraine sent to Romania at the end of July," said Staras.

The Romanian expert is pessimistic that a halt on the works ordered by the Espoo Convention will be successful.
"Judging on the way things progress, I think the Ukrainians may not be stopped. There are a set of sanctions that could be applied, but I do not think they will stop the works. We have two months to notify the international expert, and another two months for issuing the opinions and recommendations. This time the work will advance a lot. I do not believe the Ukrainians will be stopped: they will complete the channel," said Staras.

He said the deepening of the channel the Ukrainians undertake will have a deep impact on the wet land of Ramsar in the Danube Delta.
"The impact will be best assessed with the passing of time. The worst is to come for the Delta in a few years from now," said Staras.

The Romanian Government already decided upon a shortlist of possible independent experts to head the commission. "I cannot give you the names as yet, but we targeted experts with profound knowledge of the Danube and its specific problems, and all of them already work for international organizations," said Staras.