From 2.30pm to 5.30 pm on December 09, 2021, an event organized by Sino-German Legal Cooperation Programme was held in the Legal Programme’s Library. Three participants from the Department of Administrative Law of the Legal Affairs Commission (LAC) of the Standing Committee of the Chinese National People’s Congress took part, including the deputy department director, Liu Haitao. On the German side – taking part remotely – were two experts in German water law and scientific staff from their respective organisations.
Following a welcome address and introduction to the topic by Mr Liu, the German expert Prof. Grambow, Director of the Department of Water Management and Soil Protection in the Bavarian State Ministry for the Environment and Consumer Protection, gave a presentation on the topic “Experience and Examples from National and International Water Management.” Prof. Grambow gave an overview of the German and EU institutions that are crucial to water management, and of how they interact with each other. He also addressed the interplay between politics and expert bodies. Prof. Reinhardt then gave a talk on the topic “River-basin-related Water Management According to European and German Law,” which focused primarily on the European Water Framework Directive and a critical analysis of this Directive.
Following a break, the Chinese delegation posed questions to the two experts, including questions on the hierarchy between the various competing laws, and on a financial balancing mechanism between developed lower course provinces and underdeveloped upper course provinces. The questions were answered and expanded on by the experts.
The event finished with a recap by both sides and some concluding remarks, followed by a group photo.