EU strategy for the Danube area

1. EU strategy for the Danube area

2. I. Key points, dilemmas of the Danube Strategy II. The Hungarian conception - vision of the future, aims – III. Danube-summit meeting and the Stakeholder-conference IV. Tasks

3. I. Key points, dilemmas of the Danube Strategy • Conception: The strategy for the Danube area is a transnational, macro regional strategy of the regional development. This new, supplementary instrument is under elaboration in the EU cohesion policy. The budgetary resources of the EU could be referred from the period after 2013. • The reform of the structural and cohesion funds • Antecedents: • The Danube cooperation (Ulm, the Danube Commission, ICPDR, ARGE Donauländer, DunaLog) • The Baltic Strategy, as precedent

4. I. Key points, dilemmas of the Danube Strategy • EU factors, views (Commissioner, Committee of the Regions, EP) • The states and regions of the Danube area • EU MS owing Danube river section (Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria) • EU MS in the Danube basin without direct Danube river access (Czech Republic, Slovenia) • Non- EU MS owing Danube river section (Croatia, Serbia, Moldova, Ukraine) • Non-EU MS in the Danube basin without direct Danube river access (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro)

5. I. Key points, dilemmas of the Danube Strategy • Work process • Decision of the European Council • Meeting of 17-18 June 2009 (point 35.) • Mandate: European Commission • Deadline: before the end of 2010 • Probable acceptance: first half of 2011 • European Commission • 29.09.2009-DG Region • The Commission in its letter on 22th of October 2009 requested the relevant states to express their views -,,non-paper”

6. I. Key points, dilemmas of the Danube Strategy • The territorial scope of the Danube Region (EU MS and territories, candidate and aspirant countries and countries treated in the frame of the neighbourhood policy) • EU • Internal, external dimensions • Cohesion policy • Single market • Concrete aims • European values (peace, stability, democracy, human rights, minority) • Security (water, energy ,food, migration) • Connectivity, communication (traffic, telecommunication, energy)

7. I. Key points, dilemmas of the Danube Strategy • Social-economic pillar (human resources, institutional questions, cultural aspect) • Single market-destroy the trade barriers • Equal chances in competing • Environment • Traffic • Seamless borders ( H/9968. decision of the Parliament: strengthening the connection with the neighbour countries) • Corridors (TEN-T, TEN-E, e.g. 5/C.) • Missing links (e.g. Katowice - Budapest motorway) • Self-governments

8. II. The Hungarian conception - vision of the future,aims - • One of the main priorities of our EU presidency • Strengthening the community of interests and values in the EU • The internal dimension of the EU and the single market should be dealt with priority • Permeable borders • Serving the national foreign policy goals in the Danube area and at European level • Water management, improvement and protection the water quality and quantity of the Danube • Aspects of the environmental protection • Climate change • The balance of the environmental protection and the transport policy • Promotion of the European integration of the West-Balkan • Effect on the TEN-T and the TEN-E project plans

9. II. The Hungarian conception - vision of the future,aims - • Planned vision and objectives of the Hungarian Danube area • Vision: Danube area a value-based and safe region of Europe • Overall objective: strengthening the Danube area’s integrating role through sustainable development • Horizontal measures: • Strengthening territorial cohesion in the Danube area • Moderate socio-economic and environmental consequences of climate-changing • Completing EU Single Market • Promoting (R+D+I)

10. II. The Hungarian conception - vision of the future,aims - • Priorities • Strengthening Danube area safety country and transnational dimension • Protection of natural heritage • Energy-supply security • Social and economic security • Food safety and supply security • Sustainable economic development • Transport development in the Danube area • Sustainable tourism development • Sustainable industrial development • Strengthening regional identity and co-operation in the Danube area • Values and heritage protection • Cultural co-operation • Educational co-operation • Administrative co-operation and partnership

12. III.Danube-summit meeting and the Stakeholder-conference • 25th of February 2010 Danube- summit meeting • The Hungarian non-paper is completed and submitted, December 2009 • Collection of the projects is in progress (Ministry for National Development and Economy) • National Stakeholder-conference, 20th of January 2010 • Hungarian initiatives • A summit at the level of Prime Ministers, to strengthen the political commitment on the elaboration of the Danube Strategy • Invited guests (Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Croatia, Poland, Moldova, Montenegro, Germany, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Ukraine and autonom regions: Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, Wien, Lower Austria, Upper Austria, Burgenland) • Venue: the building of the Parliament • There is an opportunity to engage in the work of the Stakeholder-conference

13. III.Danube-summit meeting and the Stakeholder-conference • Draft programme of the summit: • I./ plenary session: Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Croatia, Germany, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia + other parties signed the Ulm declaration + Poland and the EU Commission • II./plenary session: parties from the first session + Ukraine, Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro • Working lunch • Key topic: strategic priorities, co-operational actions, ,,Budapest Declaration” • ,,Budapest Declaration” • On the Danube- summit participating EU member states will adopt the declaration, the invited non-EU MS may join • It will be concerted by the national contact points of the EU MS in the Danube area and by the European Commission • Collecting proposals of the discussion-orienting questions parallel to the elaboration of the ,, Budapest Declaration”

14. III.Danube-summit meeting and the Stakeholder-conference • 25-26. February 2010 Stakeholder-conference • It is the second event from the 5 international conference to be organised by the European Commission with a view to process the Danube Strategy • Co-organizer: Hungary/Budapest • The guests • It is the dialogue of the European Commission with self-governing authorities, business, academical, cultural and social factors, international organisations interested in the issues of the Danube area • 4 panels: • Self-governing bodies, good governance, institutional development • Economic development • Environmental protection, sustainable development • Identity along the Danube, cultural co-operation