The EU Strategy for the Danube Region: two years on

Two years after the launching of EU Strategy for the Danube Region, the European Commission has released the first progress report. The report provides information on the achievements so far for the 4 pillars and the 11 priority areas: Connecting the Danube Region, Protecting the Environment, Building Prosperity and Strengthening the Danube Region. It includes recommendations for the future, and reiterates how the Strategy is creating new projects through collaborations and combined funding.

Within the report, the European Commission:

“calls on EU member states to incorporate the Strategy into the new generation of programmes for Regional Policy 2014-20.
urges governments to make efficient, combined use of the funding available: of the European Structural and Investment Funds and also Horizon 2020, COSME and the Connecting Europe Facility.
calls on the 14 countries involved to make sure there are adequately staffed and financed structures in place nationally to deliver the Danube Strategy priorities.
calls on EU governments to take on the aims of the Danube Strategy at the relevant sectoral meetings of the Council of Ministers (for example EU Transport Ministers, Environment Ministers, Research and Interior Ministers)” (Source: European Commission)

An overview of the strategy itself, as well as relevant documents can be found in the Library Briefing EU strategy for the Danube region; Library Keysource The EU Strategy for the Danube Region; and Library Navigator EU Strategy for the Danube Region.

Analysis

Report from the Commission concerning the European Union Strategy for the Danube Region / European Commission, COM(2013) 181 final, 8.4.2013, 10 p.

The European Commission has released the first progress report on the EU Strategy for the Danube Region, which presents the achievements realised in the first phase of implementation and the recommendations for the next period. This information is summarised in a two pages leaflet.

Reports on the implementation of the 11 priority areas of the EUSDR (published on June 2012):

Mobility and multimodality – Inland waterways – PA 1A
Mobility and multimodality – Road, Rail, Air – PA 1B
Sustainable energy – PA 2
Culture and tourism, People to People – PA 3
Water quality – PA 4
Environmental risks – PA 5
Biodiversity, landscapes, air and soil quality – PA 6
Knowledge society – PA 7
Competitiveness – PA 8
People and skills – PA 9
Institutional capacity and cooperation – PA 10
Security – PA 11

Reflection Paper on the implementation of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region / DG Regional Policy, November 2012, 9 p.

This reflection paper is intended to facilitate the discussions at the 1st Annual Forum of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region. It provides an initial working level assessment on implementation, and addresses the common challenges.

Country Approach

National Factsheets present the priority areas for some countries taking part into the strategy and the initiatives to be followed in the next period: Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Germany, Croatia, Hungary, Moldova, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Ukraine.

The 2012 Member States Strategic Reports (available on national languages) monitor the implementation of the Cohesion Policy and its results and impacts including the agreed objectives within the strategy for Danube Region. See below countries reports which include information on the EUSDR:

Austria: Strategischer Bericht Österreichs 2012, December 2012, 102 p. (see p. 37)

Bulgaria: СТРАТЕГИЧЕСКИ ДОКЛАД, December 2012, 52 p. (see p. 37)

Hungary: Nemzeti Stratégiai Jelentés, December 2012, 183 p. (see p. 54, 135, 156-157)

Romania: Raportul Strategic National 2012 privind implementarea Fondurilor Structurale si de Coeziune, February 2013, 151 p. (see p. 74)

The Commission Services have presented the Member States position papers on the development of Partnership Agreement and Programs for 2014-2020. They include views on the main challenges and funding priorities at an early stage of programming for 2014-2020 and establish a framework for dialogue between the Commission Services and each Member State on preparation of the partnership agreement and programmes. See below the position papers (and relevant pages) for the Member States participating to EUSDR:

Austria: Position of the Commission Services on the development of Partnership Agreement and programmes in AUSTRIA for the period 2014-2020, October 2012, 26 p. (see p. 12)

Bulgaria: Position of the Commission Services on the development of Partnership Agreement and programmes in BULGARIA for the period 2014-2020, October 2012, 38 p. (see p. 15)

Czech Republic: Position of the Commission Services on the development of Partnership Agreement and programmes in the CZECH REPUBLIC for the period 2014-2020, October 2012, 39 p. (see p. 16)

Germany: Position of the Commission Services on the development of Partnership Agreement and programmes in Germany for the period 2014-2020, October 2012, 35 p. (see p. 17)

Hungary: Position of the Commission Services on the development of Partnership Agreement and programmes in HUNGARY for the period 2014-2020, October 2012, 45 p. (see p. 16-17)

Romania: Position of the Commission Services on the development of Partnership Agreement and programmes in ROMANIA for the period 2014-2020, October 2012, 38 p. (see p. 15)

Slovenia: Position of the Commission Services on the development of Partnership Agreement and programmes in SLOVENIA for the period 2014-2020, October 2012, 36 p. (see p. 14)

Slovakia: Position of the Commission Services on the development of the Partnership Agreement and programmes in SLOVAKIA for the period 2014-2020, October 2012, 46 p. (see p. 16)