EU DANUBE STRATEGY On the way to „implementation“ ?! Roland Arbter, Federal Chancellery Vienna, 5 July 2011, Summerschool BOKU/DRC

EU Danube Strategy| Vienna2 | EU Danube strategy process moves …. –EU-27! -> EC/GAC, EP, CoR, … –High political momentum! -> 4 „Danube Summits“ –Active participation of Stakeholders (conferences, consultations, etc.) –Mobilisation on national level –Media ! –ER ( ): „… endorsed the EU Strategy for the Danube Region and called on all relevant actors to implement it without delay, as outlined in the Council`s conclusions of 13 April 2011 …

3 A new „EU macro-region“ ? EU Danube Strategy| Vienna

4 | Variable functional geographies ! Danube Region ? Complexity trap?

EUSDR- Priority Areas … some targets (examples) EU Danube Strategy| Vienna5 | (A) Connecting the Danube Region 1. To improve mobility and multimodality: (1a) Inland waterways (1b) Road, rail and air links “Increase cargo +20% until 2020” “Improved travel times between major cities” “Multimodal Danube river port terminals …” … 2. To encourage more sustainable energy “… EU2020 climate and energy targets …” 3. To promote culture and tourism ….. (B) Protecting the Environment in the Danube Region 4. To restore and maintain the quality of waters ….. 5. To manage environmental risks 6. To preserve biodiversity, landscape, air, soils (C) Building Prosperity in the Danube Region 7. To develop knowledge society „3% GDP in R&D by 2030“ 8. To support competitiveness „Patents +50%“ 9. To invest in people and skills „Tertiary education +40% for aged “ …. (D) Strengthening the Danube Region 10. To step up institutional capacity& cooperation “Benchmarks for reducing bureaucracy..” 11. To work together to promote security “4 weeks for business start-up permissions” …

Example: Priority Area 10 - Actions EU Danube Strategy| Vienna6 | To step up institutional capacity and cooperation -> Actions:  To combat institutional capacity and public service related problems  To improve the trust of citizens and stakeholders in political authorities  To establish a Danube Civil Society Forum  To ensure sufficient information flows and exchange at all levels  To facilitate the administrative cooperation of communities living in border regions  To build Metropolitan Regions in the Danube Region  To reviews bottlenecks relating to low absorption rate of EU-funds and to ensure better coordination of funding  To support the development of local financial products for business and community development  To examine the feasibility of a Danube Investment Framework

Example: Priority Area 10 - Projects EU Danube Strategy| Vienna7 | -> Examples (!) of projects in the Action plan:  ….  Public finance management knowledge network  Acta Danubia – international harmonisation of scientific studies of the Danube  Danube cooperation maps  Guidelines for spatial planning  Urban technologies cooperation  Danube Environmental Forum  ….

EU Danube Strategy| Vienna8 | Multiple objectives of Macroregional EU Strategies  MRS = New concept! -> „partly still to be invented!“  … „mulitiple roots“ (Nordregio, 2008 ): –External relations –Development policies ….. „MRS aim beyond EU-Cohesion Policy!“  … contribution to several EU-aims? –EU2020! –3 dimensions of sustainability –Territorial cohesion ….  Subsidiarity!  Contexts matters!  Time matters!

EU Danube Strategy| Vienna 9 | EUSDR aspects … starting points for Implementation 1.„A strategy is a pattern in a stream of decisions“ (H. Mintzberg) 4.New role for the EC … also during implementation? 2.EUSDR is no programme! ! -> „quick wins … low hanging fruits … early harvest“ 3.„No strategy without an action plan!“ (EC) 5.New Priority area coordinators + multiplying governance system + national coordination + regional/local level + NGOs 6.EUSDR project notion? 7.No new funding!? … /2014+?

10 SOUTH-EAST 206,7 MEUR ERDF Austrian „large-scale“ ETC Transnational Programmes: ALPINE SPACE CENTRAL Europe SOUTH EAST Europe Network Programme (EU 27 + CH + N): INTERREG IV C (Inter- regional Cooperation) URBACT II (ESPON) ALPINE SPACE 97,8 MEUR ERDF CENTRAL 246 MEUR ERDF EU Danube Strategy| Vienna

ETC Project Examples EU Danube Strategy| Vienna11 | NCP-Project Database

NCP Austria cross-programme services for project partners & the ETC network EU Danube Strategy| Vienna12 | NCP-Project Database NEWSLETTER ETC-News Information & thematic events transnATional vernETZt: raum & energie

ETC/INTERREG , cooperation effects … cities (ex. Vienna) … „rural“ regions (ex. Carinthia) EU Danube Strategy| Vienna

INTERREG cooperation effects EU Danube Strategy| Vienna

INTERREG III : … international … +national! EU Danube Strategy| Vienna