MOBILISATION OF RESOURCES TO IMPLEMENT THE DANUBE STRATEGY Ruse/Giurgiu, May 2010 T. Sobieski European Commission-Head of Unit C2, DG ELARG

The Danube Strategy First macro regional strategy with integrated European transnational approach aimed to facilitate the prosperity of the Danube Region and address its cross-border challenges. Joint effort of all states in the Danube River Basin in defining the specific characteristics of this European macro-region and the common needs of the Danube area. Potential and Candidate Countries (MNE, BiH, RS and HR) partners in the development of the Strategy

How do we help "enlargement" countries on their way to accession? Main Goals: Enlargement policy/SAP Process: – to help the potential and candidate countries become MS. –harmonisation of legislation with the acquis and European standards, contractual relations and financial support Financial instruments: – help the candidate countries make the necessary changes in order to be well prepared to join the Union

IPA – the Instrument of Pre-accession Assistance What is IPA? Single general framework for financial support tailored for candidate and potential candidate countries. Translates political priorities into financial figures to assist beneficiaries to implement the necessary reforms and to fulfil EU requirements. Strong focus on the adoption and implementation of the EU acquis; support to IB and administrative capacities Preparing beneficiaries to manage structural funds from day of accession Financial envelope of 11.5 billion € for the period

Multi-annual Indicative Financial Framework (MIFF) by country and by component Multi-annual Indicative Planning Document (MIPD) by country for all relevant components Annual programmes Comp I Comp II Comp III Comp IVComp V Institutional building Cross Border cooperation Regional development Human Resources development Rural Development How it works?

Priorities Progress report, European-Accession partnership, SAA, NPI Component 1 IB: Political criteria, economic criteria, obligations of membership Component 2 CBC: cooperation with neighbouring border areas and build local and regional capacities Component 3/4 Regional development and HR development: preparation to ERDF, Cohesion Funds and European Social Funds; regional competitiveness, transport, environment, HR Component 5: Rural development, preparation to Agriculture and Rural dev.policy.

Basic principles Ownership Coherence and concentration of assistance Sectoral approach Coordination, complementarity, synergy Absorption capacity, maturity of projects

The Danube Strategy Danube Strategy- fresh impetus Partner Country: to identify its accession priorities; difficult choices - competing priorities on the way to accession. National proposals for actions in the Danube region: opportunity for increased synergy EU response: strategic focused support, limited financial envelope Our financial assistance: IPA 1 and 2 may finance inter alia Danube Strategy projects for Potential candidate Countries, and IPA 3, 4 for Candidate Countries Coordination, Division of labour, pool of donor resources

Projects financed in SERBIA Danube River Information System (RIS) Sewerage & Wastewater Strategic Master Plan for the West Morava River Basin (€3M) Žeželj Bridge – Rebuilding Serbian infrastructure (€30 M) Removal of unexploded ordinances (UXO) from the Danube river (€3.8M) Preparation of the necessary documentation for river training and dredging works on selected locations along the Danube River (€2M) Crossborder projects with Member States, and with the WB region Under Components I and II

Projects financed in CROATIA Under Components II, III Rehabilitation and improvement of Sava River waterway (€2,5M) Reconstruction of the Port of Vukovar - New port East (€2,5M) Reconstruction of the South Quay in the Port of Osijek (€1,5M) Reconstruction of Slavonski Brod Dangerous Goods Terminal (€1,75M) Preparation of the master plan for Sisak New Port (€1,4M) Crossborder projects with Member States and with the WB region

CORE Network – Building bridges with neighbouring states CORE network within the European Union: Centre of integrated network Enables optimised use of different transport modes and the logistics system Economic viability and environment impact Precursor of the TENs in the WB region

What is the Western Balkan Investment Framework? 2 main objectives: Support to infrastructure Support to investments (private sectors, energy efficiency…) Promote general socio-economic development of the WBIF Funds – donor community – combined with loans from IFIs Pool grants, loans and expertise together to prepare financing for a common pipeline of priority investment projects; Strengthen coherence and synergies in donors’ support to improve the positive impact and visibility of these priority investments in the beneficiary countries of the region. The WIBF- instrument of EC, EIB, EBRD and EU Member States to coordinate different sources of finance and leverage loans with grants for priority projects in the countries of the Western Balkans

Thank you for your attention!