CONTRATTO DI FIUME E DI COSTA ELEUTERIO

Brief description and objective of the action:
The Eleuterio River and Coast Contract is an effective and inclusive governance model for a small river, whose attention is directed to actions involving local communities, promoting collaboration between multiple stakeholders through sustainable decision-making processes and pursuing the protection, correct management of water resources and the enhancement of river territories, together with protection from hydraulic risk, contributing to the local development of these areas (art.68/bis Legislative Decree 152/20006 and subsequent amendments).
The 188 structural and non-structural actions identified in the Eleuterio River and Coastal Contract contribute to the objectives of the Ocean and Water Mission to reduce nutrient losses, chemical pesticide use and risk. The actions are listed in the following environmental objectives of the Eleuterio CdFC:
• reduction of water pollution from point sources (Water/Purification 2000/60/EC)
• requalification of agricultural systems to deal with pollution from diffuse sources (Nitrates 91/27/EU)
• requalification of ecosystem systems to deal with water criticalities (Water Balance 2000/60/EC)
• Knowledge-participation-training-cultural education on the Eleuterio River (Aarhus Convention, Directives 2003/4/EC on public access to information and 35/2003/35/EC on public participation in decision-making processes)

Contribution of the action to the Mission Ocean’s objectives, goals of “Public mobilisation and engagement”:
- decisions and choices were made through <<deliberations>> with a balanced dialogic process that avoided imbalances in favor of the actors with greater political and economic weight (ABSORPTION OF EXTERNAL CONDITIONS TO THE COMMON INTEREST)
- In the blog of the CdFC Eleuterio (https://contrattodifiumecostaeleuterio.blogspot.com/ all the minutes and activities of the Technical Secretariat and the Forum are published, an example in Sicily of ADMINISTRATIVE TRANSPARENCY;
- the interdisciplinary action of the Technical Secretariat is also dictated by the presence of the Professional Orders, and the participation story is INTERDISCIPLINARY;
A network of Municipalities was created for ordinary and extraordinary maintenance on the Eleuterio river (MANAGEMENT OF CONFLICTS);
- the participation of a representative of the FORUM in the work of the Technical Secretariat, allowed the control of the implementation of the nine objectives identified by the FORUM (DIRECT PARTICIPATION IN DECISIONS).
- he activation of volunteering is dictated by the free contribution of each person to the activities of the CdF, in a balanced dialogic process (EXTENDED DEBATE BETWEEN FREE AND EQUAL SUBJECTS)
- No financial participation by the Institutions (NO FUNDING)
The Eleuterio River and Coast Contract is in progress. The governance project has been sent to the District Basin Authority of Sicily for inclusion in the national platform of river contracts and for subsequent signature by the participating Municipalities for the commitment to implement the planned interventions.