Background and Objective

In 2009, the European Council formally asked the European Commission to prepare an EU Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR). “The importance of the Danube Basin for the EU cannot be underestimated. Our policies and the investments we are making in the Basin through the EU's cohesion policy in particular have an impact on the livelihoods of 20 million citizens. The Danube needs a specific strategy comparable to the strategy we are developing for the Baltic Sea Region. A one-size-fits all approach doesn't work in an EU of 27 Member States and 271 regions. We need a targeted policy for the Danube that meets its ecological, transport and socio-economic needs,” said Commissioner Hübner on the open day in October 2008.

The EU Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR) is a macro-regional strategy adopted by the European Commission in December 2010 and endorsed by the European Council in 2011. The Strategy was jointly developed by the Commission, together with the Danube Region countries and stakeholders, in order to address common challenges together. The Strategy seeks to create synergies and coordination between existing policies and initiatives taking place across the Danube Region.