Meaningful public participation in the management of transboundary river basins

This article analyses the conditions set by international and European water law to assure 'meaningful' public participation in transboundary water management. At the international level, we focus on the Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes, and the Convention on the Law of the Non-navigational Uses of International Watercourses. At the European level, we have paid particular attention to the European Union (EU) Water Framework Directive and the Floods Directive. In this article, we first give an overview of standards for 'meaningful' public participation in transboundary water management which can be based on the above-mentioned treaties and directives. We then propose ways this legal regime can be further developed in law, and in practice. Specific tools that might prove useful to advance meaningful participation will be discussed. We will look in particular at citizens' juries and internet-based tools.