{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-decision-1995-308/introduction",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-decision-1995-308/introduction.json",
  "legislation": "eudn/1995/308",
  "legislation_title": "Council Decision of 24 July 1995 on the conclusion, on behalf of the Community, of the Convention on the protection and use of transboundary watercourses and international lakes (95/308/EC)",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-decision-1995-308",
  "path": "introduction",
  "kind": "introduction",
  "number": null,
  "heading": "Introductory text",
  "text": "Council Decision\nof 24 July 1995\non the conclusion, on behalf of the Community, of the Convention on the protection and use of transboundary watercourses and international lakes\n(95/308/EC)\nTHE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,\nHaving regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 130s (1) in conjunction with the first sentence of paragraph 2 and the first subparagraph of Article 228 (3) thereof,\nHaving regard to the proposal from the Commission,\nHaving regard to the opinion of the European Parliament,\nHaving regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee,\nWhereas the Commission has taken part, on behalf of the Community, in the negotiations in and ad hoc working party on the preparation of a Convention on the protection and use of transboundary watercourses and international lakes;\nWhereas the Convention was signed on behalf of the Community at Helsinki on 18 March 1992;\nWhereas the main purpose of the Convention is to establish a framework for bilateral or multilateral cooperation to prevent and control the pollution of transboundary watercourses and to ensure to rational use of water resources in the member countries of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe;\nWhereas the Community has adopted measures in the field covered by the Convention; whereas it is the Community's responsibility to enter into international commitments in such matters;\nWhereas Community policy on the environment contributes to the pursuit of the objectives of preserving, protecting and improving the quality of the environment, protecting human health and prudent and rational use of natural resources with a view to sustainable development;\nWhereas, as a whole, Community policy on the environment aims at strengthening international cooperation in order to achieve a high level of protection; whereas it is based on the precautionary principle and on the principles that preventive action should be taken, that environmental damage should as a priority be rectified at source and that the polluter should pay;\nWhereas within their respective spheres of competence the Community and Member States cooperate with their countries and competent international organizations;\nWhereas the conclusion of the Convention by the Community will help to achieve the objectives set out in Article 130r of the Treaty,\nHAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:",
  "extent": "E+W+S+N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f1",
      "text": "OJ No C 212, 5. 8. 1993, p. 60."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f2",
      "text": "OJ No C 128, 9. 5. 1994."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f3",
      "text": "OJ No C 34, 2. 2. 1994, p. 1."
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eudn/1995/308/introduction",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-11-01T15:19:24.789986+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}