This was the first in a series of consultation meetings by the Commission to shape the content of the Danube Strategy as requested by the European Council. High-level representatives included Commissioner Paweł Samecki, Rosen Plevneliev, Minister for Regional Development and Public Works in Bulgaria, Environment Minister László Borbély from Romania, Bozidar Djelic, Deputy Prime Minister of Serbia, as well as ministers from Baden-Wurttemberg and Bavaria in Germany.

Common Challenges in the Danube Basin

In his opening speech, Commissioner Samecki identified three specific issues that all countries in the Danube Basin would have to address jointly: major economic and social disparities which persist from pre-1990 times, environmental issues, e.g. water quality and biodiversity, and infrastructure improvements. As the Danube region is to a large extent a region of the EU, many EU policies, instruments and funding possibilities can be deployed. In addition, the EU allows co-operation between countries by working within existing European structures. The Commission can provide its expertise and independence in the delivery of cross-border and transnational co-operation programmes.

Take Part in the Public Consultation

The consultation process will continue until early summer with further events planned in Hungary at the end of February, Austria and Slovakia (April), Bulgaria (May), Romania (June), and a public consultation. The Commission intends to propose an action plan and a governance system in December 2010, scheduled for discussion in early 2011 under the Hungarian Presidency.

The public consultation on the European Strategy for the Danube is now on-line. Open until March 31, 2010 the European Commission is inviting all interested parties to take part. This consultation is designed to provide opportunity for stakeholders to feed in views to help shape the Commission's plans on the Strategy. Building on the positive experience of the first 'macro-regional' strategy in the Baltic Sea Region, this latest initiative seeks to develop the huge economic potential of Europe's longest river, and improve environmental conditions in and around the wider Danube region.

Please click here to proceed to the public consultation.

Source: DG Regio.