1. www.gwpcee.org
IDMP Workshop on
follow-up drought
activities in the Region
Bucharest, 21-22 April 2015
EU Strategy for the
Danube Region
Dr. János Fehér
GWP CEE Danube Strategy Task Force Leader
Tools for project implementation in the frame of DRS

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Challenge for European Union
Up to 2004
Currently

3. EU Strategy for the Danube Region – Tools for project implementation in the frame of DRS21-22 April 20153/xx www.gwpcee.org
Objective:
Development of co-operation between different countries and areas including
local and regional actors as well as coordination of policy development and
resources in order to meet common challenges, solutions and actions.
So far four MRS: http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/en/policy/cooperation/macro-regional-strategies/
2009: Baltic Region Strategy
2011: Danube Region Strategy
2014: Adriatic and Ionian Region Strategy
2015 (June): Alpine Region Strategy
EU Macro Regional Strategies

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EU Strategy for the Danube Region

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Per capita GDP in USD
(2013)

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Current status of DRS
The Priority Areas are connected involving multiple sectors to each other:
environmental protection  navigability  economic development  labour mobility  human resource
development  'soft' security measures,  institutional development  etc.

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Priority Area 4 - To restore and maintain the quality of waters
Priority Area 5 - To manage environmental risks
Priority Area 6 - To preserve biodiversity, landscape and the quality of air and soil
Pillar 2 - Protecting the Environment in the Danube Region

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PA 4 Actions
1. Action - To implement fully the Danube River Basin Management Plan
2. Action - To greatly strengthen cooperation at sub-basin level
3. Action - To continue to invest in and support the information collection systems already developed by ICPDR
4. Action - To continue boosting major investments in building and upgrading urban wastewater treatment
facilities across the Danube Basin, including measures to build capacity at the regional and local
level for the design of such infrastructure
5. Action - To establish buffer strips along the rivers to retain nutrients and to promote alternative collection
and treatment of waste in small rural settlements
6. Action - To foster and develop an active process of dialogue and cooperation between authorities
responsible for agriculture and environment to ensure that measures are taken to address
agricultural pollution
7. Action - To legislate at the appropriate level to limit the presence of phosphates in detergents

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PA 4 Actions - continued
8. Action - To treat hazardous substances and contaminated sludge with the newest and best available
technology and to develop and promote remediation measure for hazardous producing or
abandoned industrial sites and waste deposits
9. Action - To assure the proper control and progressive substitution of substances that are considered
problematic for Danube Region
10. Action - To reduce existing water continuity interruption for fish migration in the Danube River Basin
11. Action - To promote measures to limit water abstraction
12. Action - To strengthen general awareness and facilitate exchange of good practice in integrated water
management issues in the Danube Basin among decision-makers at all levels and among the
population of the Region
13. Action - To promote measures aimed at reducing knowledge deficits, developing and transferring tools,
methods and guidelines concerning the safeguarding of drinking water supply
14. Action - To further strengthen Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) and Maritime Spatial Planning
(MSP) practices on the Western shores of the Black Sea

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PA 5 Actions
1. To develop and adopt one single overarching floods management plan at basin level or a set of flood risk
management plans coordinated at the level of the international river basin
2. To support wetland and floodplain restoration as an effective mean of enhancing flood protection, and
more generally to analyse and identify the best response to flood risk (including “green infrastructure”)
3. To extend the coverage of the European Floods Alert System (EFAS) system to the whole Danube river basin,
to step up preparedness efforts at regional level (including better knowledge of each other's national
systems)
4. To strengthen operational cooperation among the emergency response authorities in the Danube countries
and to improve the interoperability of the available assets

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PA 5 Actions - continued
5. To continuously update the existing database of accident risk spots (ARS Inventory), contaminated sites and
sites used for the storage of dangerous substances
6. To develop rapid response procedures and plans in case of industrial accidental river pollution
7. Anticipate regional and local impacts of climate change through research
8. To develop spatial planning and construction activities in the context of climate change and increased
threats of floods

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The Role of the Steering Group
To break each action down into operational steps
To identify responsible bodies and setting deadlines
Complement with relevant and by supporting projects
New projects may also be discussed to advance the actions in the Action Plan
The Role of Priority Area Coordinators
To make the Strategy operational
• committed, proactive and effective coordinators
Work in close contact with the Commission stakeholders
Organise the meetings of the Steering Group
▪ to agree on work programme for the Steering Group
(schedule of meetings, arrangements for decision-taking)
▪ discuss the targets set out in the Communication from the EU Commission
Implementing the Strategy

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• Transnational approach:
joint management of shared challenges to national and EU borders
• Partnership:
equal cooperation between Member States and non-EU members
Priority Areas are governed by Steering Groups – All DRB countries
Steering Groups are coordinated by two countries in partnership
• Multi-level approach:
subsidiary and all relevant authorities and stakeholders involvement and
participation
Implementing the Strategy

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 The whole process is project based.
 How projects are initiated:
o by the Priority Area Steering Group
– road maps + involvement of ICPDR and sub-basin organisations
(PA4 road maps: http://www.danubewaterquality.eu/uploads/mod_files/Road-maps_of_PA4_2012_11.pdf)
(PA5 road maps: http://www.danubeenvironmentalrisks.eu/files/directory/77)
o by individual Danube Region countries
• State
• Private sector
 Role of Priority Area Steering Group in selecting and promoting DRS related projects
Implementing the Strategy

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Danube Strategy Letter of Recommendation
How to get DS Letter of Recommendation for a project idea / proposal?
Submit the project idea to Priority Area Coordinator
– Use of a template for application
To get DS Letter of Recommendation for a project idea:
• The proposal should be in line with the main objective(s) of the project should fit to the Danube Strategy
Pillars/Priority Areas/Actions.
• It should represent added value(s) to the Danube Strategy
• It should not be in conflict with others or cause disadvantage for others
• Should have transboundary character or effects
• Should have future dimension
• It can be financed (not only feasible technically)
• It should be well prepared (well written content description; project leader identified; partners identified; budget
estimated realistically)
Project proposals with DS Letter of Recommendation submitted to any funding sources should get extra points in the
final evaluation process

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 Projects can be financed from different sources, i.e.
 EU sources:
– Structural and Cohesion Funds;
– IPA (Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance);
– ENI (European Neighbourhood Instrument)
– Interreg programmes
– Transboundary; Transnational; Interregional
– Central Europe programme
– Sectorial programmes (HORIZON2020; ERASMUS +; LIFE; CEF – Connecting Europe Facility)
 International founding organisations
- EIB, EBRD, World Bank, etc.
 National, regional, local sources
 Private sources
Implementing the Strategy

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Thank you for your attention
and
your work on saving our Planet for
the next generation!
EU Strategy for the Danube Region – Tools for project implementation in the frame of DRS

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