The European Union Strategy for the Danube Region is a strategy to boost the development of the macro-region. It was proposed by the European Commission on December 8, 2010 (Commission Communication – EU Strategy for the Danube Region). Member States endorsed the EU Strategy for the Danube Region at the General Affairs Council in 2011 (Council Conclusions).
The Danube region is facing several challenges:
- environmental threats (water pollution, floods, climate change)
- untapped shipping potential and lack of road and rail transport connections
- insufficient energy connections
- uneven socio-economic development
- uncoordinated education, research and innovation systems
- shortcomings in safety and security
The strategy tackles 11 priority areas, which usually are coordinated for the whole region by at least two countries. Research and Innovation are covered by Priority Area 7 in coordination also with Priority Area 8.
1) To improve mobility and intermodality | Inland waterways: Austria, Romania Rail, road and air: Slovenia, Serbia |
2) To encourage more sustainable energy | Hungary, Czech Republic |
3) To promote culture and tourism, people to people contacts | Bulgaria, Romania |
4) To restore and maintain the quality of waters | Hungary, Slovakia |
5) To manage environmental risks | Hungary, Romania |
6) To preserve biodiversity, landscapes and the quality of air and soils | Germany (Bavaria), Croatia |
7) To develop the knowledge society (research, education and ICT) | Slovakia, Serbia |
8) To support the competitiveness of enterprises | Germany (Baden-Württemberg), Croatia |
9) To invest in people and skills | Austria, Moldova |
10) To step up institutional capacity and cooperation | Austria (Vienna), Slovenia |
11) To work together to tackle security and organised crime | Germany, Bulgaria |
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