Arch. Belin Mollov, Advisor to the Minister of RDPW European Danube Strategy expert conference, Budapest – 18 March 2010 BULGARIAN PERSPECTIVE

3 PILLARS AND PRIORITIES  CONNECTIVITY  Priority: Transport infrastructure development (railways, roads, bridges, ports, terminals)  Priority: Energy supply networks  Priority: Information and Communication Technology networks  ENVIRONMENT AND RISK PREVENTION  Priority: Protection of the Danube River – decreasing of water pollution  Priority: Protection of the environment, nature and biodiversity conservation  Priority: Risk prevention  Priority: Promoting sustainable development  SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL INTEGRATION  Priority: Transnational research and innovations  Priority: Stimulating trade and investment  Priority: Human resources development  Priority: Making better use of tourist potentials  Priority: Promoting inter-cultural dialogue  Governanse

“CONNECTIVITY”  Development and upgrade of the infrastructure along the Trans-European Transport Corridors № 7; № 4; № 9; № 10;  Development and modernization of the transport infrastructure in the direction the Danube – the Black Sea (Ruse – Razgrad – Shoumen – Varna);  Development of Hemus Highway and reconstruction and upgrade of first- rate roads from the highway to the ports on the Danube River. PRIORITY: TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT This priority comprises of a set of measures related to the development and modernization of the railway, road and port infrastructure, bridges and ferries on the Danube River, waterways and navigation systems, as well as the functional connections ensuring logistics (intermodal terminals), sustainable mobility and transport safety and security. These measures are integrated in complex project areas under the main Trans-European transport corridors and important national transport axes.

“CONNECTIVITY”  Construction of a bridges across the Danube River;  Development, reconstruction and modernization of ferry lines;  Development, reconstruction and modernization of the port infrastructure;  Improvement of ship navigation on the Danube River;  Creation of the Danube Panoramic Road - reconstruction and repair works of the road sections parallel to the river from Vidin to Silistra;  Creation of a bike route and bike lanes along the Danube River from Vidin to Silistra – (part of the Trans-European Bike Lane along the Danube River. Development and upgrade of the infrastructure along the Trans- European Transport Corridor № 7 Corridor 7     

“CONNECTIVITY” Development and upgrade of the infrastructure along the Trans- European Transport Corridor № 7

“CONNECTIVITY”  Creation of a second bridge across the Danube River at Vidin - Calafat (underway - ISPA);  Reconstruction and rehabilitation of a fist- rate road (Е79) Vidin – Montana – Vratsa – Botevgrad;  Rehabilitation and reconstruction of Sofia North Ring Road (the Northern tangent);  Construction of Lyulin Highway (underway);  Construction of Struma Highway;  Reconstruction and upgrade of the railway line Vidin – Sofia – Kulata. Development and upgrade of the infrastructure along the Trans- European Transport Corridor № 4       Corridor 4

“CONNECTIVITY” Development and upgrade of the infrastructure along the Trans- European Transport Corridor № 4

“CONNECTIVITY”  Creation of a southern – south-eastern bypass of Ruse (from the main road І-5 Ruse – Veliko Tarnovo to the main road ІІ-21 Ruse – Silistra;  Improvement of the access of the European region Ruse – Giurgiu to the Pan-European Transport Corridor №9;  Rehabilitation of the transport infrastructure for the development of cross-border cooperation in the area of Giurgiu - Ruse (R.O.A.D. GIURGIU – RUSE) Development and upgrade of the infrastructure along the Trans- European Transport Corridor № 9   Reconstruction and upgrade of “the Danube Area -1” Ruse – Giurgiu and the adjoining railway line;  Creation of an intermodal terminal in Ruse;  Reconstruction and development of a four-lane road І-5 Ruse – Veliko Tarnovo from to km.”;  Design and construction of a tunnel below Shipka.    Corridor 9

“CONNECTIVITY” Development and upgrade of the infrastructure along the Trans- European Transport Corridor № 10   Construction of Sofia – Kalotina Highway;  Construction of the Northern tangent of Sofia;  Construction of Maritsa Highway  Corridor 10

“CONNECTIVITY”  Development of Hemus Highway from Yablanitsa to Shumen;  Development and reconstruction of first-rate road links from the highway to the ports of Nikopol and Svishtov…. Development of Hemus Highway and reconstruction and upgrade of first-rate roads from the highway to the ports on the Danube River         

“ENVIRONMENT AND RISK PREVENTION” Priority: Protection of the Danube River – decreasing of water pollution  Integrated River Zone Management and Planning  environmental infrastructure and technologies, like sewage plants, waste management, sanitation, soil purification, water purification, potable water supply, investment needs, modernisation, capacity building and training measures, … Priority: Protection of the environment, nature and biodiversity conservation  Protection and development of the environment, nature and biodiversity conservation  standards and policy instruments, legal frameworks, environmental controls, private-public-partnership models, protection of ecologically valuable areas incl. nature parks, ecological networks, eco-tourism, natural resources, … Priority: Risk prevention  Cooperation in the field of civil protection and emergency management  chemical and nuclear accidents, floods, storms, droughts, … Priority: Promoting sustainable development  Enhancing the role of education for promoting sustainable development  Promotion of energy diversification and renewable energy policies, like in the field of hydro power, wind power, biomass energy, biofuel,  Energy efficiency, capacity building and education, …

“ENVIRONMENT AND RISK PREVENTION”  Integrated water treatment and management ;  Improvement of waste management systems and restoration of polluted areas and natural landscapes. PRIORITY: REDUCED WATER POLLUTION This project reflects the measures relating to integrated planning and management of the river zone with a number of interventions on the infrastructure and environment protection technologies such as treatment plants, waste management, sewerage, soil treatment, water treatment and drinking water supply. It shows the need of investment, modernization, establishment of sufficient capacity and implementation of training measures, delivery of technical equipment for efficient river waters pollution control, environmental management systems for ports in the Bulgarian section of the Danube river (ECOPORT8), integrated water management, waste treatment and management infrastructure, as well as number of projects relating to the use of Danube water for irrigation purposes.

“ENVIRONMENT AND RISK PREVENTION”  Rehabilitation of wetlands and biodiversity protection along the Danube River ;  Monitoring of the quality of environmental factors in the municipalities in the Danube Area. PRIORITY: PROTECTION OF NATURAL AND BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY This priority area shows the measures relating to the rehabilitation of wetlands ad biodiversity protection along the Danube River to achieve environmental balance; mapping and determining of the environment protection status of natural habitats and species, reduced negative impact of nvading species and rehabilitation of natural habitats by afforestation with local species, supporting and rehabilitating measures for the protected areas and the development and application of trans-national strategies for the protection of the natural heritage of the Danube River to achieve sustainable management of natural resources.

Rehabilitation of wetlands and biodiversity protection along the Danube River “ENVIRONMENT AND RISK PREVENTION”  Development of new and updates of existing plans for management of protected areas along the Danube River and implementation of the steps provided for in them;  Creation of a network of protected areas under Natura 2000 and gradual drafting of management plans for protected areas along the Danube River;  Implementing steps about endangered animal and plant species, typical of the area along the Danube River

PRIORITY: RISK PREVENTION “ENVIRONMENT AND RISK PREVENTION”  The scope of this priority comprises of “soft measures”, aiming at improved monitoring and control systems and preparedness of the area for joint actions and infrastructural elements of protective nature and basic infrastructure for integrated operational management and prevention of crises, disasters and accidents. The planned measures are targeted at raising the security of the area and reduce the impact of possible crises as well as complement the protection of the environmental status and natural resources in the area.

“SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL INTEGRATION” Priority: Transnational research and innovations  Interaction between education, research and innovation  Building a network of innovation centers  Technical university in Vidin Priority: Stimulating trade and investment  Increasing attractiveness for foreign investments  Better cross-border and transnational labor market policy Priority: Human resources development  Investments in education, training, science and research, transnational/interregional cooperation  Human capital development in priority areas  Promoting labor and student mobility Priority: Making better use of tourist potentials  Development of cultural tourism, river tourism, cycling tourism, regional/local potentials, cross-border initiatives, …  Protection, restoration and utilisation of cultural heritage  Integrated municipal projects along the Balkan touristic coridors Priority: Promoting inter-cultural dialogue  Inter-cultural learning - cultural diversity as a strengths of the Danube region  Increasing human contacts, promoting inter-cultural dialogue…

“SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL INTEGRATION”  Setting up of an international college and a research institute in Vidin for transfer of knowledge, technologies and development of science related to the utilization of the potential of the River Danube;  Setting up of an International Centre for Information and Cooperation in Ruse which will become a forum for contacts with the local and regional authorities, exchange of experience, collection and provision of data about the Danube macro-region.. PRIORITY: TRANSNATIONAL RESEARCH INITIATIVES AND INNOVATIONS SUPPORT This priority includes a number of measures aiming at the enhancement of the transnational research and scientific exchange, establishment and development of research centers and programs, projects for support of cooperation between universities, professional schools, etc. within the European context as well as improvement of interaction between educational institutions and research and innovation centers, establishment of partnership networks and stimulation of the public-private partnerships while taking into account the heterogeneous nature, needs and potential of all levels within the Danube region

“SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL INTEGRATION”  Setting up of an international college and a research institute in Vidin for transfer of knowledge, technologies and development of science related to the utilization of the potential of the River Danube;  Setting up of an International Centre for Information and Cooperation in Ruse which will become a forum for contacts with the local and regional authorities, exchange of experience, collection and provision of data about the Danube macro-region.. PRIORITY: TRANSNATIONAL RESEARCH INITIATIVES AND INNOVATIONS SUPPORT This priority includes a number of measures aiming at the enhancement of the transnational research and scientific exchange, establishment and development of research centers and programs, projects for support of cooperation between universities, professional schools, etc. within the European context as well as improvement of interaction between educational institutions and research and innovation centers, establishment of partnership networks and stimulation of the public-private partnerships while taking into account the heterogeneous nature, needs and potential of all levels within the Danube region

“SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL INTEGRATION” PRIORITY: EFFECTIVE USE OF THE TOURISM POTENTIAL This priority allows for integrated interregional, cross-border and transnational projects aiming at the establishment of a single Danube tourism strategy, development of a single tourism market and a set of projects for the development of the Danube tourist product in the field of cultural, wine, rural and cruise tourism in the Danube Area.

Conference on Danube strategy GiurgiuRuse May 2010

Thank you for your attention! For more information: Arch. Belin Mollov - Advisor, MRDPW, Sofia, Bulgaria