A joint 'Declaration on the Protection of the Western Balkans Rivers' has been adopted by participants of an International River Conference and several other environmental groups from the Western Balkan and other European countries. The conference was organized in Sarajevo on 27th - 29th November by Arnika (Czech Republic), the Center for Environment (Bosnia and Herzegovina), and WWF Adria thanks to financial support from the European Union, the Transition Promotion Programme of the Czech Republic, Global Greengrants Fund, and the Heinrich-BöllStiftung. The signatories demand a moratorium on the construction of hydropower plants until governments can ensure protection for both the environment and local communities and compliance with national law, EU legislation, and international conventions.
