„South East Europe Programme” as a financing opportunity for projects in the Danube region and complementarity to other instruments COMPLEMENTARITY OF FINANCING INSTRUMENTS

The main goal of the cohesion policy: strengthening economic, social and territorial cohesion by reducing development gaps between EU member states; this goal is supported by the three objectives of the policy: convergence, competitiveness and job recruitment and European territorial cooperation. The added value of the Cohesion Policy exceeds the economic growth and increased number of jobs; it results from its interdependent relations with other Community Policies – state aids, environment protection, transport, informational society or innovation support, improvement and modernization of public administration etc. COHESION POLICY

Funds allocated to Romania for the period: – Convergence Objective: 19,2 billion € – European Territorial Cooperation Objective: 455 million € Main priorities of Cohesion Policy in Romania: – Improving basic transport infrastructure and accessibility - €5.3 billion – Contribute to research and innovation to ensure long-term sustainable economic competitiveness - €2.6 billion – The social inclusion of disadvantaged groups will be supported to the tune of some €1.2 billion for education and training – Nearly €570 million will be invested in supporting business, with a focus on SMEs Results: – Funds may help increase GDP by 15% in the period 2007–13 – Help safeguard around jobs European Cohesion Policy in Romania

TRANSNATIONAL COOPERATION PROGRAMME SOUTH EAST EUROPE -In the context of EU Cohesion Policy the main objective of SEE Programme is to achieve high quality, result-oriented transnational strategic projects, relevant for the programme area.

Innovation and entrepreneurship € Develop technology & innovation networks in specific fields Develop the enabling environment for innovative entrepreneurship Enhance the framework conditions and pave the way for innovation Fields financed from SEE (necessary for the development of the Danube Region) Environment - Protection and improvement € Improve integrated water management and flood risk prevention Improve prevention of environmental and technological risks Promote cooperation in management of natural assets and protected areas Promote energy and resource efficiency

Accessibility € Improve coordination in promoting, planning and operation for primary and secondary transportation networks Develop strategies to tackle the “ digital divide ” Improve framework conditions for multi modal platforms Development of transnational synergies for sustainable growth areas € Tackle crucial problems affecting metropolitan areas and regional systems of settlements Promote a balanced pattern of attractive and accessible growth areas Promote the use of cultural values for development

Strengthening the cooperation in the region: Carpathian, Tisa, Danube and Black Sea areas Integrated space, spatial structures that overlap, are interconnected and interdependent

Strengthening the cooperation in the region: Carpathian, Tisa, Danube and Black Sea areas Approach: Transnational Integrate: strategic, spatial and investments planning Working with regional and local actors Clear stakeholder analysis: central public authorities, regional and local public authorities, bodies governed by private law.

Strengthening the cooperation in the region: Carpathian, Tisa, Danube and Black Sea areas 10 ETC Programmes finance activities within the space 4 Convergence Programmes (per country) finance activities within the space IPA and ENPI funds for non EU countries each country finances activities through national funds Need for correlation and coordination between different financial instruments, Managing Authorities and projects Policy coordination, the cross- sector aspect of multi-level governance.

Strengthening the cooperation in the region: Carpathian, Tisa, Danube and Black Sea areas correlation and coordination between different financial instruments, Managing Authorities and projects policy coordination, the cross-sector aspect of multi-level governance. Concrete results in a shorter period of time

First call for proposals – transnational cooperation in Danube area has begun 7 Danube projects approved on: waste management, natural heritage, flood risk reduction, inland navigation, networking waterway administrations, tourism Next steps: encourage cooperation for the future calls for proposals, including preparation of projects that generate concrete results to be further used and implemented through national or other funds, including use of 20% flexibility rule.

Danube – European River

Approved projects in the Danube Area  NEWADA - Network of Danube Waterway Administrations Objective: to increase the efficiency of this corridor by intensifying cooperation between waterway administrations.  NELI - Cooperation-Network for logistics and nautical education focusing on Inland Waterway Transport in the Danube corridor supported by innovative solutions Objective: to create the framework conditions for a transnational cooperation among the Danube riparian countries leading to technological innovations and implementation of common policies and concrete action plans in the Inland Waterway Transport sector  DANUBE FLOODRISK - Stakeholder oriented flood risk assessment for the Danube floodplains Objective: to develop and produce high quality, stakeholder oriented flood risk maps for the transnational Danube river floodplains to provide adequate risk information for spatial planning and economic requests

 WANDA - WAste management for inland Navigation on the Danube Objective: to establish a sustainable, environmentally sound and transnationally coordinated approach in ship waste management – including the development and implementation of related measures – along the Danube in order to protect this water resource and its multifaceted ecosystems.  Danubeparks - Danube River Network of Protected Areas - Development and Implementation of Transnational Strategies for the Conservation of the Natural Heritage at the Danube River  DATOURWAY - Transnational Strategy for the Sustainable Territorial Development of the Danube Area with special regard to Tourism  DONAUREGIONEN+ - The Spatial Development Concept of Interregional Co-operation in the Danube Space

Iuliu BARA General Director Head of National Authority for the South East Europe Programme Thank you !