This paper presents an assessment of some of the problems connected with the implementation of the UN Economic Commission for Europe’s Convention on Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes in the transition countries in transition (i.e.: the Baltic States and NIS) and formulates proposals (or more effective joint of transboundary waters of these countries. As the experience of the cooperation in transboundary areas of the Baltic states and New independent states shows, a lack of trust between those involved in the transboundary cooperation, is one of the key impediments on the way to the sustainable management of shared by different States natural resources. The paper presents the case study of the border area of Estonia, and Russia - the watershed of Lake Peipsi, where the states work on the development of joint arrangements of management of shared natural resources.

Lake Peipsi/Chudskoe is the fourth largest lake system in Europe. It is the largest transboundary lake in Europe: the border divides the lake surface almost in two equal parts between Russia and Estonia. This border line was reestablished in this region at the beginning of I990s its reestablishment resulted in the disruption of contacts between experts and decision-makers who, during the existence of the former Soviet Union, worked together on environmental monitoring and management of the lake and its resources. The new border broke existing channels of communication and with them the system for information exchange and organization of water management The border brought new conditions into organization of a system of management of the lake. In 1991 the lake Peipsi/Chudskoe changed from an internal lake to a transboundary lake.

Meanwhile, infrastructure for water-quality monitoring of the lake remained only on the Estonian side with fish monitoring on the Russian side. Political and economic conflicts between Russian federal and Estonian national governments during the beginning of the 1990s caused propaganda in Estonia against Russia, and in Russia against Estonia, creating distrust between people living on different sides of the border. In this context, the process of establishment of a system for joint management of shared water resources has become largely complicated due to a number of factors listed below:

A lack of trust between actors involved in the implementation process of due to the given history of relations between former USSR republics (here: Estonia and Russia) presents a problem on the was of development of the cooperation. The cooperation between the national governments of Estonia and Russia on environmental issues is also weak due to: 1) a lack of funding for this cooperation; 2) existing intergovernmental political problems (the border dispute); 3) asymmetry of powers in relations between the cooperating parties: Russia and Estonia. There is a lack of information exchange and cooperation between different levels of governance inside countries. Sufficient information exchange and cooperation between different levels of the national governments, between the Russian and Estonian governments, as well as between the governments and NGOs; interest groups and general public, does not exist.

The process of the establishment of joint institutions for management of transboundary waters of the countries in transition should include efforts to build trust and confidence between actors involved in the management of transboundary waters, develop new communication channels between them, and upgrade infrastructure for environmental monitoring and training decision-makers in administration of transboundary projects and implementation of legislation.