The concept of macro-regional strategy is every day more frequently used in the European public policies, a situation also encouraged by the success of the pilot strategy for the development of the Baltic Sea macro-region, to begin with, and then of the Danube Region strategy.
The fact that there is no standard definition of the macro-region concept, which may refer to either groups of countries or administrative regions linked by certain common features and challenges, generates many discussions on the development of new strategies in the spirit of territorial cohesion. Principles representing the foundation of these structured frameworks for action seem as efficient as they are simple. First of all, the work method which relies on trans-national, cross-border, trans-institutional and trans-sectoral cooperation is appreciated and the extremely important role of communication in the success of a project is acknowledged. The principle of the „three No-es”, no additional budget, no allocated budget, no new legislation, just a better management and focus on the already existing resources, of any kind, is also important.
Can such a macro-regional strategy also be applied for what we have called and promoted as the Wider Black Sea Area (WBSA)? The main collaboration pillars would be the development of the railway transport system, facilitation of Europe-Asia trade and the opening of new wide markets. The common denominator of the 28 countries in WBSA – Albania, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Croatia, Georgia, Greece, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kosovo (UNSCR 1244/99), FYR Macedonia, Rep. of Moldova, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia. Slovakia, Slovenia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Hungary and Uzbekistan – is railway transport and its high potential. Major importance would be granted for the first time to the predominantly external dimension of the strategy, where third countries would join member countries.
In a simplistic first vision, the strategy would focus on boosting collaboration in order to connect the macro-region by developing pan-European railway corridors, the TRACECA corridor and the North-South Trans-national corridor. The development and coordination of implementing such a strategy could be developed by national governments, railway institutions and organisations – CER, UNECE, UIC, OSJD, TRACECA, the Transport Coordination Council on the Trans-Siberian route, etc. Financing sources could be the same as in the Danube Strategy. As regards the common dialogue platform, the WBSA 28 countries have already made their first steps in 2010 through the Railway Investment Summit in the Wider Black Sea Area.
And since this is an exercise of imagination, we can even use an acronym-concept, WBSA 28, following the example of Goldman Sachs on emerging markets, BRIC and Next 11. The general picture is filled in by the partnerships India – Russia – Iran, India – Russia – China and the interest in establishing the Eurasian Union by 2015.
by Cristina Trifon
Head of Business Development & Strategic Alliances
Club Feroviar
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