Brussels, 15/02/2011 (Agence Europe) - Under the chairmanship of Libor Roucek (S&D, Czech Republic), MEPs held a debate on the evening of Monday 14 February on priority action covered by the EU strategy for the Danube region. The strategy was presented by the European Commission on 9 December 2010 and is one of the priority objectives of the Hungarian Presidency of the EU Council of Ministers (EUROPE 10274/10308). A resolution will be voted on on Thursday 17 February. What does the Commission have to say about this Danube strategy? This was the question immediately posed by Libor Roucek to the commissioner for regional policy, Johannes Hahn. His comments are as follows:
Integrated approach. Johannes Hahn is delighted that this approach is always supported at the Parliament. Backing up the ideas advocated by Silvia-Adriana Ticau (S&D, Romania), Hahn affirmed that all local, regional, national and European authorities, as well as civil society and the business community, now had to participate in this strategy. “It is useful for sustainable development in the Danube region”.
Ecological approach. He also agreed with Elisabeth Schroedter (Greens/EFA, Germany), for whom an ecological and balanced approach is necessary for the whole river basin. Hahn underlined the three essential priorities of the strategy (improvement of water quality, risk management, and the prevention of natural disasters) “with the premium being on achieving these aims ecologically”.
Funding. Ramona Manescu (ALDE, Romania) called for better access to be promoted for European funds, particularly for SMEs, so that they and other actors are guaranteed greater economic independence. Vlasak Oldrick (ECR, Czech Republic) said that development of the region had to be done “in keeping with what is essential from a budgetary point of view: neutrality and appropriate use of funds”. It is clear for the commissioner that funding and resources already exist and should be used appropriately. The commissioner affirmed that “it is necessary to set up operational programmes whose objectives include regional projects being treated fairly. Over the next financial perspectives, it will be necessary to see what projects can be carried out together and what financial resources could be used for them”. He also asserted that it would also be necessary to use additional resources, namely €30 billion for three years, provided by the EIB. The Commission will set up a high-level group consisting of all member states, which will regularly assess what progress has been accomplished. He also added that an action plan with very clear deadlines would also be elaborated.
Governance. In this context, Hahn affirmed that it would be necessary to see what could be done in future years and whether they would succeed in implementing the strategy for the countries involved in it. He said that “there is a genuine momentum and enthusiasm, which will need channelling to translate it into added value to help implement the strategy. An appeal has been launched for tackling implementation and once again highlights the fact that enough money must be made available”. Hahn concluded that “it is necessary to use this in the best way in order to have added value for all people living in the Danube region, 115 million Europeans”. (G. B./transl.fl)