1. Working Community of the Danube Regions General Secretariat of the Government of Lower Austria +43 2742 9005 – 13488www.argedonau.at Working Community of the Danube Regions 20 years interregional Cooperation in the Danube Region

2. Signing of the „Joint Declaration“ on May 17th 1990 on a shipping tour from Melk to Dürnstein, Lower Austria Establishing: Goals: According article 1 of the „Joint Declaration“: Promotion of cooperation between its members for development of Danube area to serve the interests of its inhabitants and to forster peaceful cooperation in Europe. Working Community of the Danube Regions General Secretariat of the Government of Lower Austria +43 2742 9005 – 13488www.argedonau.at

3. As a matter of principle each member bears the cost engendered by the activities, interpreters are paid by the host region. For joint projects the pertaining work groups shall elaborate a financing plan and submit it for approval. The conference languages are the official languages of the members. Documents for meetings are issued to the members in German. Financing and Procedures: Working Community of the Danube Regions General Secretariat of the Government of Lower Austria +43 2742 9005 – 13488www.argedonau.at

4. Conference of Heads of Government Working Group of Senior Officials Facilities Working Community of the Danube Regions General Secretariat of the Government of Lower Austria +43 2742 9005 – 13488www.argedonau.at

5. Preparation of the Meetings Coordination and documentation Homepage: www.argedonau.at General Secretariat Government of Lower Austria Department Landesamtsdirektion Working Community of the Danube Regions General Secretariat of the Government of Lower Austria +43 2742 9005 – 13488www.argedonau.at

6. Working Groups Culture and Science Chair: Lower Austria (A) Transport and Navigation Chair: Vienna (A) Zoning and Environmental Protection Chair: County Bacs-Kiskun (H) Economy and tourism Chair: County Györ-Moson- Sopron (H) Youth and Sports Chair: County Pest (H) Working Group „Danube Culture Route“ Working Group „Cultural Heritage“ Working Group Zoning Chair: Slovak Republic Working Group Ecology with focus Soil Conservation Chair: Lower Austria (A) Working Group „Secondary Ports“ Chair: Region Rousse (BG) Working Group „Bicycle Route“ Chair: Vienna (A) Working Community of the Danube Regions General Secretariat of the Government of Lower Austria +43 2742 9005 – 13488www.argedonau.at Rural development Chair: Lower Austria (A)

7. Members Germany: Baden-Württemberg Bavaria (till 2005) Austria: Upper Ausria Lower Austria Vienna Burgenland Slovak Republic: Trnava Bratislava Hungary: Gyoer-Moson-Sopron Komarom-Esztergom Pest Budapest Fejer Bacs-Kiskun Tolna Baranya Croatia: Osjecko-Baranjska Vukovarsko-Srijemska Serb Republic Bulgaria: Vidin Montana Vratsa Pleven Veliko Tarnovo Rousse Silistra Romania: Caras Severin Mehedinti Dolj Olt Teleorman Giurgiu Calarasi Ialomita Braila Galati Tulcea Constanta Republic of Moldavia Ukraine: Region Odessa Observer: South Moravia Region (CZ) Nitra (SK) Working Community of the Danube Regions General Secretariat of the Government of Lower Austria +43 2742 9005 – 13488www.argedonau.at

8. „Model for a sustainable development in the Danube region“ „Soil protection declaration“ Restoration workshop in Osijek, Croatia „digital base map” of the Danube regions digital Map „Danube Culture Route“ Contacts between Economic chamber Listing the historically-technically Monument along the Danube Important successes and projects Working Community of the Danube Regions General Secretariat of the Government of Lower Austria +43 2742 9005 – 13488www.argedonau.at

9. „Guidelines to traffic development“ „Portino – study“, development of „smaller ports“ „Culturel itinerary DANUBE“ Study on Traffic Development „Donauhanse“ Important successes and projects Working Community of the Danube Regions General Secretariat of the Government of Lower Austria +43 2742 9005 – 13488www.argedonau.at

10. EU Strategy for the Danube Region

11. International networks in the Danuberegion 1948„Danube commission – agreement on the control of the shipping on the Danube“ 1970Establishing of the international Tourist Commission „Die Donau“ 1994 ICPDR - International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River- is the platform for the implementation of the Danube River Protection Convention 2002Danubecooperationprocess Examples: Working Community of the Danube Regions General Secretariat of the Government of Lower Austria +43 2742 9005 – 13488www.argedonau.at

12. Regional Networks in the Danuberegion 1990Working community of the Danube Regions 2008„Intergroup Danube“ in the Committee of the Regions Examples: Communal Networks in the Danuberegion Examples: 2002„Danube-Office“, Ulm 2009„Board of Danube cities and -regions“ Scientific network in the Danuberegion Danube Rectors Conference Working Community of the Danube Regions General Secretariat of the Government of Lower Austria +43 2742 9005 – 13488www.argedonau.at

13. - the 14 involved States EU Strategy for the Danuberegions 14 States of the Danube River Basin 8 EU Member States 4 „candidates“ - Croatia - Serbia -Bosnia -Montenegro and Moldova Ukraine Working Community of the Danube Regions General Secretariat of the Government of Lower Austria +43 2742 9005 – 13488www.argedonau.at

14. After Baltic Sea Strategy, 2. Macro-regional Strategy of the EU EU Strategy for the Danube Region 2008Austrian and Rumanian initiative with the invitation to the President of the EK to develop the EU Strategy for the Danube Region 2009European Council instructet the DG Regio with the development of an Strategy for the Danube Region 3 „No´s“ of the EKNO additional Funding NO additional Institutionen NO new legislation 100 Mio. population, 1/5  20 % area of the EU Working Community of the Danube Regions General Secretariat of the Government of Lower Austria +43 2742 9005 – 13488www.argedonau.at

15. EU Strategy for the Danube Region FundingThe Strategy is implemented by mobilising and aligning existing funding to ist objectives, where aproppriate and line with overall frameworks. Autom 2009Invitation to the 14 States in the Danuberegion from the DG Regio 2010- Consultation process - 5 Stakeholderconferences in Ulm, Vienna/Bratislava, Budapest, Russe/Giurgiu, Constanca 8.12.2010EU Commission adoptet the Strategy and the Action Plan, which contains about 200 priority actions http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/cooperation/danube/index_en.htm http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/cooperation/danube/index_en.htm Working Community of the Danube Regions General Secretariat of the Government of Lower Austria +43 2742 9005 – 13488www.argedonau.at

16. 4 „Pillars“ I. II. Connecting the Danube Regions Protecting the Environment in the Danube Region III. Building Prosperity in the Danube Region III. Strengthening the Danube Region

17. I. Pillar: Connecting the Danube Regions PRIORITY AREASCOORDINATION 1)To improve mobility and multimodality ARGE DL Inland Waterways Austria (Via Donau) Rumania Road rail and air links Slovenia Serbia (Interessent: Ukraine) 2) To encourage more sustainable energy Hungary Czech Republic 3) To promote culture and tourism, people to people contacts ARGE DL Bulgaria Rumania Working Community of the Danube Regions General Secretariat of the Government of Lower Austria +43 2742 9005 – 13488www.argedonau.at

18. II. Pillar: Protecting the Environment in de Danube Region PRIORITY AREACOORDINATION 4) To restore and maintain the quality of waters Hungary Slovakia 5) To manage environmental risks ARGE DL Hungary Rumania 6) To preserve biodiversity, landscapes and the quality of air and soils ARGE DL Germany (Bavaria) Croatia Working Community of the Danube Regions General Secretariat of the Government of Lower Austria +43 2742 9005 – 13488www.argedonau.at

19. III. Pillar: Building Prosperity in the Danube Region PRIORITY AREACOORDINATION 7) To develop the knowledge society through research, education and information technologies Slovakia Serbia 8) To support the competitiveness of enterprises, including cluster development Germany (Baden-Württemberg) Croatia 9) To invest in people ans skills Austria Moldavia Working Community of the Danube Regions General Secretariat of the Government of Lower Austria +43 2742 9005 – 13488www.argedonau.at

20. IV. Pillar: Strengthening the Danube Region PRIORITY AREASCOORDINATION 10) To step up institutional capacity and cooperation ARGE DL Austria (Vienna) Slovenia 11) To work together to promote security and tackle organised and serious crime Germany (Bavaria) Bulgaria Working Community of the Danube Regions General Secretariat of the Government of Lower Austria +43 2742 9005 – 13488www.argedonau.at

21. 24.6.2010Adoption of the EUSDR by the EU-Heads of State under the Hungarian presidency 1.7.2011Starts of the implementation Final preparations Working Community of the Danube Regions General Secretariat of the Government of Lower Austria +43 2742 9005 – 13488www.argedonau.at

22. 41 Cooperationsprogramms € 4,3 Milliards für cooperationsactivities till 2013 (about EFRE, IPA, ENPI) transnational Networks across all sectors Territorial cooperation: key element of the EU Strategy of the Danube region Working Community of the Danube Regions General Secretariat of the Government of Lower Austria +43 2742 9005 – 13488www.argedonau.at

23. Many thanks for your attention!