Brussels, 01/02/2010 (Agence Europe) - The commissioner for regional policy, Pawe³ Samecki, will take part in a conference on Tuesday 2 February on the European strategy for the Danube region in Ulm (Germany). This conference is inspired by the first macro-regional strategy for the Baltic region and it marks the launch of a series of consultations to implement the Commission's initiative for the “Danube Region”. The conference will be based on four workshops focusing on: (1) improvement of connection and communication systems; (2) environmental protection and the preservation of aquatic resources and preventing environmental risks; (3) strengthening socio-economic, human and institutional development and (4) cooperation governance. Funding of €95 billion is already available for the strategy (which will not require additional funding) and will be spent under the cohesion policy (European regional development funds, cohesion funds, European Social Fund) between 2007 and 2013. In addition to Commissioner Samecki, participants will also include Rosen Plevniev, the Bulgarian minister for regional development and public works, Laszlo Borbely, the Romanian minister for the environment, Bozidar Djelic, the Serbian vice prime-minister, Wolfgang Reinhart, the European and federal affairs minister for Baden-Württemberg (Germany) and his Bavarian counterpart (Germany) Emilia Müller. (G.B./transl.fl)