The Danube region is characterised by long-term cooperation. One of the most important agreements was the Danube River Protection Convention, created with an intention of intensifying cooperation in the field of water protection and water use between countries in the Danube basin. Under auspices of this convention, the Joint Danube Survey was launched. This case demonstrates the importance of collecting data to assess how to move forward with any project.
The Survey provided a framework for harmonising sampling, and to certain extent also of analytical methodologies used among the different Danube countries through the cohesive team-work of the JDS scientists and the effective collaboration with the national scientific teams.