1. Council of the Danube Cities and Regions Peter Langer Director of the Danube Office Ulm Speaker of the Council of the Danube Cities and Regions

2. The cooperation between our cities and regions generates the new European Danube region Council of the Danube Cities and Regions

3. Ulm Danube Initiatives 1998 International Danube Festival launched in Ulm and New-Ulm (every two years); 2008 over 300.000 visitors; 2010 Top Act: Goran Bregovic 2002 donau.büro.ulm founded as project and development agency for co-operation between the cities and regions along the Danube; 14 Danube offices established from Ulm to the Danube Delta – for example in Novi Sad, Belgrade, Golubac 2003 1 st European Conference of Danube Cities in Ulm, following conferences in Novi Sad (2005), Vidin / Bulgaria (2007), Budapest (2009), the next planned in Belgrade (2011)

4. Council of the Danube Cities and Regions Ulm Danube Initiatives 2008 European Danube Academy opened in Ulm as platform for scientific and cultural cooperation 2009 6 th May: “Ulm Danube Summit” 11 th June: Council of the Danube Cities and –Regions founded in Budapest: 32 cities and regions participated 19 th June : European Council decided “EU-Danube-Strategy” (Brussels) 2010 1 st /2 nd February: First Conference on the Development of EU-Danube-Strategy in Ulm; following conferences in Budapest, Vienna/ Bratislava, Ruse/Giurgiu; Constanza/Tulcea

5. Council of the Danube Cities and Regions Danube cities and regions play a special role in the process of developing the Danube Strategy: common history, present and future is experienced most strongly and most directly by the people in the cities and regions. “If European identity didn't develop in the Danube region, then where?" Dr. Erhard Busek, 5 th July 2008 in Ulm

6. Council of the Danube Cities and Regions Positions and fields of action of the Council of Danube Cities and Regions to be anchored in the Danube strategy :  Sustainable improvement to the environment, water quality of the Danube from the Black Forest to the Black Sea and promoting renewable energy technologies  Promoting culture and nature tourism on the most beautiful river in Europe  Developing and increasing prosperity through:  improved transport infrastructure and mobility  know-how transfer in environmental planning, economic development and administrative management  by promoting educational opportunities for young people

7. Council of the Danube Cities and Regions Positions and fields of action of the Council of Danube Cities and Regions to be anchored in the Danube strategy :  The cultural and scientific co-operation to develop joint European identity in the Danube region  Strengthen civil society and civil rights:  anti-discrimination and gender projects  meeting projects for young people  free and independent media: “Danube Media Network”  Governance:  European Grouping for Territorial Cooperation (EGTC) as legal form of a common project and development agency of Danube cities

8. Council of the Danube Cities and Regions Convinced Europeans are the basis of a strong Europe. They are to be found in the Danube cities.