The policies of sustainable development must be shared(Rio de Janeiro Declaration, Principle 10). An important aspect of the sustainable development talks about the management of the hydric resources. The public participation can be understood like an individual and social right, as a way to improve the quality and effectiveness of the processes of decision making. Different international instruments support the public participation in the water management. In the UE, the Water Framework Directive (WFD) contains concrete dispositions on the public participation in this subject. The rough dcopy of directive on public participation identifies three forms of participation in the WFD: active participation, consult and information provision. In the Iberian Peninsula doesn´t exist a tradition of participation. In Spain and Portugal the public participation, practically, is limited to the participation of the users and not of the civil society. The Agreement of Albufeira doesn´t have anticipated mechanisms that allow the participation of the public in the terms of the WFD. Both States will have to introduce reforms to articulate mechanisms that allow a real and effective participation.