For two days (26 and 27 June 2014) Vienna hosted the Annual Forum of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR), an event which gathered ministers, representatives of citizens and businessmen from the 14 countries of the Danube Region who discussed the future priorities of the strategy based on the recent adoption of the partnership agreements for structural funds part of the investments plans and programmes aimed at developing the region.
We grow together, together we grow” was the motto of the reunion where member countries focused on competitiveness and social inclusion while considering the EC report according to which a stronger leadership of macro-regions is required.
“It is time we opened the road towards implementing projects aimed at developing the region. For improved connectivity, we have to consider the level of connectivity of the region to use the development potential of the region, to optimise development and to maintain it. Relevant points refer to strategic initiatives so that governments would reach the strategy’s objectives within the technical strategic framework through which ministers have to deal with using the funds for the objectives of the Danube Strategy. For sectors such as transport, environment, tourism, the authorities have to involve in further developing and implementing necessary policies and, in this regard, we want to propose more frequent meetings to decide on necessary projects. We need people to make decisions and if member countries identify priorities, they have to attend these meetings. EC will support the Danube Strategy, but the decision makers have to guide the implementation of the strategy for generating projects. By the end of the year, we have to have the priority projects well-set to receive funds and to be implemented”, declared the European Commissioner for Regional Policy, Johannes Hahn.
This year’s edition of the forum has focused on the necessity of a stronger collaboration between the Danube countries, a cooperation aimed at the efficient implementation of projects. “The strategy already has 3 years and concrete results have been obtained regarding cooperation, but it is not enough. Cooperation between countries and authorities is vital to implementing the project leading to regional development. There are 500 projects submitted on different sectors. For the waterborne transport, it is necessary to adopt measures to improve the infrastructure and the current situation of naval transport along the Danube. The Danube’s potential has to be fully used as transport on the river can be less expensive and more efficient, at the same time. Regarding cooperation, it requires sustained commitment and special attention to implement the macro-regional concept. EC will continue to remain active in facilitating financing. In 2014-2020, both the strategy and the pillars and their projects will be intensely promoted and implemented”, declared Walter Deffaa, Director General of DG Regional Policy of the European Commission.
The “Danube Cosmos” was introduced during this year’s edition of the forum, a series of activities including initiatives and projects on a broad range of topics of all the strategy’s priorities.
Future priorities and actions
During the forum, the ministers of foreign affairs of the countries in the Danube Region and EC representatives welcomed the progress with the implementation of the strategy and expressed their will to continue the political guidelines of the Strategy. The ministers agreed that it was vital over the next period to set new progress regarding cooperation in the problems of policies with special importance ensuring an efficient cooperation level with other policies, programmes and instruments.In this context, the ministers encouraged the EU, national coordinators and the coordinators of the Priority Axes groups to present concrete proposals. Also, the ministers reiterated the necessity of much more coordinated actions to meet the objectives of the Strategy and of Europe 2020 and to prepare the implementation of priorities for the 2014-2020 financing. The groups of the priority axes were required to develop a joint approach for the strategic projects for financing in the next 7 years. The ministers have also expressed their support for setting projects for accessing structural and investment funds. For this purpose, the efficient cross-border interconnection of national vital measures regarding a macro-regional vision is the responsibility of the groups of priority axes. They have been required to develop a joint approach for selecting the strategic projects of EUSDR by the end of 2014. The ministers agreed that the ministers in charge with the strategy can set ministerial reunions and the rotation principle of the Strategy Presidency has to consider the EU presidencies in the Council, presidencies within other macro-regional institutions or based on volunteering.
Over the next period, the “National Contact Points” (NCP) should be called National Coordinators to better reflect their role of national coordinator. NC should require regular informal meetings and to be an interface between the political level and that of Priority Axes.
Preparing the future annual forum (in Ulm, Germany), the ministers and EC will make their best to have a maximum impact and results with the Strategy and will encourage the groups of the priority axes to develop future strategic concepts to have progress by the middle of 2015, including the adaptation of regional policies and the programmes of the EU 2020 objectives.
Also, by the middle of 2015, the criteria of evaluation and performance for priority axes should be presented in cooperation with EC, National Coordinators and Coordinators of Priority Axes. Therefore, an evaluation process will be launched. The coordinators for structural and investment funds can be included within national delegations. As a general rule, meetings must be chaired by the host country of the following Annual Forum.
The ministers were notified about EC’s proposal to set a Danube Strategy point in order to accelerate cooperation and consolidate the synergies between the Strategy and the programmes. The ministers agreed that the main attributions and the financing of the Strategy point should be defined in advanced.
For preparing the future annual forum (in Ulm, Germany), the ministers and EC will make their best to have a maximum impact and results with the Strategy and will encourage the groups of the priority axes to develop future strategic concepts to have progress by the middle of 2015, including the adaptation of regional policies and the programmes of the EU 2020 objectives.
Also, by the middle of 2015, the criteria of evaluation and performance for priority axes should be presented in cooperation with EC, National Coordinators and Coordinators of Priority Axes. Therefore, an evaluation process will be launched.
Regarding the transport activities and programmes – Priority Axis 1b-PA1b, coordinated by Slovenia and Serbia, 19 events have been organised since the implementation of the Strategy (2011) involving all the 14 countries. For the railway transport sector, PA1b supports this sector as important mode of transport due to its sustainable characteristics. The group supports railway transport by coordinating the activities of different players and their projects, by granting importance to infrastructure improvement (especially to missing links and removing bottlenecks), mostly cross-border infrastructure; the group also supports railway transport pleading for interoperability and removing administrative obstacles which could increase the competitiveness of railway freight transport and the efficiency of operations involving other transport modes too, both in EU and non-EU countries. The necessity of a more active participation of the parties interested in the development of the railway sector, including by projects to be financed within the EU programmes for 2014-2020 remain the most important points in the PA1b agenda.
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