Brussels, 09/12/2010 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 9 December in Brussels, the European Commission presented a new proposal that will have an impact on life in the Danube region and introduce rapid changes in the area. Johannes Hahn informed the press that they would have a “Danube that is more blue, clearer and cleaner, with more capacity for freight transport”. The Commission would like to develop a region that attracts business and networks, as well as better training and quality job opportunities for citizens in the region.
The commissioner for regional policy pointed out that the Danube is the most international waterway in the world. The river is 3,000 km long and in the Danube region there are 115 million people, as well as the Ryan-Danube Canal, which links the North and Black Sea. This strategy responds to a request from the European Council. It is the second strategy adopted by the Commission, following the Baltic Sea strategy. It covers 14 countries, including eight EU member states.
These two macro-regions of the Baltic and Danube have set themselves the same objective: locating the best form of cooperation possible for implementing common actions promoting collaboration between regions and countries. This will include, for example, transport and energy supply cooperation, as is the case for the Baltic Sea. The two strategies also share the same principles: no new regulation and no additional financial resources. The reason for this is explained by Johannes Hahn, who indicated that this is not necessary in the region in question, given that there are already different funds, including structural funds, which provide a significant amount (€100 billion). Part of this funding has already helped to launch appropriate projects and the remainder of the funding will help finance the initiative in the form of concrete projects during the financing period. The ultimate objective is to optimise financial resources made available to the project, in an effort to produce added value, explained the commissioner. He added that this initiative responds to the wish expressed by the member states that had advocated such a strategy. He also indicated that the Commission had received more than 800 written contributions on this subject.
The four priority themes in the new strategy are: (1) improving links in and between the regions in the transport, energy and Danube navigation improvement package; (2) improving environmental protection and protecting biodiversity; (3) improving the spirit of enterprise; (4) improving security in the region and helping enhance capacity in this region which is, as pointed out by Johannes Hahn, made up of different states with historically different standards and conditions. The commissioner said that he hoped to align these with European standards.
Hahn announced that coordinators would be appointed for each of these priorities. Under the Hungarian Presidency of the EU Council of Ministers, the countries, regions and civil society in the Danube basin would assume this coordination once they were definitively appointed. The decision on the Danube strategy should be taken at the General Affairs Council in April 2011 and at the European summit later in June. The commissioner highlighted the fact that the role of the Commission is in this case one of support and that responsibility would fall to the member states and regions involved in the strategy.
In conclusion, Commissioner Hahn affirmed that the objectives were clear: (1) to increase the number of certificates and skill-sets among young people; (2) with regard to the environment: - to ensure that the impact of heavy rain (which has been recently experienced) does not lead to natural disasters (floods) and damage the environment; - to improve water quality. Sturgeon is already returning to the Danube. This would suggest that navigability and ecology go together. (EUROPE 10244, 10155, 10086 and 10068) (G.B./transl.fl)