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JOINT DECLARATIONS to EUSDR’s implementation

II

CONTENTS

III

THE ONLY

CONFERENCE-

SERIES

OF

THE EUSDR’S

in 2011-2013 23 international forums

in 10 countries, 19 cities

in features all priorities area

with 1206 participants

Supported by

Network

web

http://danubenet.eu

IV

ABOUT ‘DANET’ CONFERENCE-SEREIES

RECORDS TO COMMISSIONER MR. HAHN TO THE MEETING

FIRST OF ALL We are greeting the EUSDR for giving the historic opportunity of macro-regional cohesion for the region that was political and military fragmented in the twentieth century. So, the Danube region regain its identity, and its citizens could be proud to be as people of the Danube basins be the part of the European integration.

Requests:

1. Do not allow that the "macro-regionalism” horizont disappear during the implementation activities of the NCPs and SGs. So far these activities and the practical implementation of the are mainly limited on the river Danube and the its coastal area.

2. There are qualitative differences between the Baltic and other macro-regions in relation to what should be taken into account in the design and practical implementation

of the 20 most disadvantaged regions of the EU 15 (75%), while only three of the most advanced 20 (7%) in the Danube macro-region. /EUSTAT 38/2012 - 13 March 2012 - Regional GDP /

here are the majority of the EU, 12 of them and the accession countries,

the countries of the the Danube region are in the center part of the European continent and

compared with other European macro regions have significantly shorter sections of sea

coastal areas;

3. Instead of the administrative function (labeling) of the established government institutions (SG,

NCP, PAC), the following activities should dominate at least until the end of 2014:

information disseminating and

project generating,

developing networks,

a broad system of partnerships,

stimulating bottom-up planning activities.

These should be better adapted to the communications of the Parliament and the Commission, to

the real needs. The obligation of reporting and the labeling without direct resource allocation,

makes the structure and its functioning dysfunctional, the negative feedback effect should be

reckoned with politically. This has already manifested on the 8 international DaNet conferences.

V

To do this resources should be provided to the SG on the Commission and member state levels, and

resources for cooperative and transnational, network-building NGO projects cshosen by the

Commission and the Parliament.

Distinct management of the NGOs

the PACs and the SGs should cooperate on a closer partner level with the regional political,

space developer, vocational and think-tank NGOs dealing with the issues of the PAs, as it

already acheaved for example in the case of operative programs.

Organizations invented purely on the river Danube or in occasion of EUSDR, could have

certainly their role in the process of information, but they should not take the place of the of

the professional interest groups, scientific institutions, think-tank organizations, in their

function in the organizational structure of the EUSDR. Especially the so called fun civil

organizations with hegemonic behavior, with name reservation, wanting to appear as the

representatives of all civil organizations of the Danube region, is in incompatible with the

politics of the EUSDR and with the partnership system of the EU confirmed in 2011.

There is necessary the distinct management of the wide range, multileveled even with

hundred thousand members containing NGOs of the Danube region. Therefore we prepared

the network system Danubenet for NGOs with territorial coverage adjusted to the

professional and to the priority areas.

4. EU 2020 + Multi-annual Financial Framework Strategy + Common Framework and EUSDR the

planning of conditions of implementation of the actions contained in the ESDR action-program,

adopted by the SGs, at the member state level should start in the operational programs.

Proposal: the planning on the national level of including the conditions by the adopted measures of

the SG should start. By now the consistence in the relation between the measurs adopted by the SGs

and the parts of the national plans are questionable.

Question: Will the the draft regulations of the EU funds contain the integration of the EUSDR and

OP?

On behalf of the DaNet IOC

István Szilvássy

President

Asked some questions about the Danube Strategy, but the response was voluntary option. One

quarter of the participants responded.

yes58%

no42%

Do you know how and where to submitproject ideas related to the Danube

Strategy?

VI

CONTRIBUTION TO THE WHOLE IMPLEMENTATION OF EUSDR

AFTER THE DISCUSS WITH EU DG REGIO

Brussels (BE) Joint Declaration to the EUSDR Produced on the DaNet Conference devoted to the European Union's

Danube Macro-Regional Strategy

Brussels – DaNet Conference, 22 and 24. October 2012

Representatives of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) from countries of the Danube

region, who gathered in Brussels on 22 -24. October 2012 to exchange views about the European Union Strategy for the Danube

Region (EUSDR) and on problems and proposals for solving them in the field of involvement of CSOs:

Welcome the support of the Citizenship Program of the European Union (EACEA) to create and implement the DaNet Conference Program which in its' framework enables NGOs and CSOs to get broader insight in EUSDR, its' priority areas (PAs) with opportunity to express their views and discuss problems tackled at these conferences;

Declare the strongest interest of participating

organizations in the implementation of EUSDR and

in fulfillment of goals stated in the Action Plan for

all Priority Areas which were discussed during this

gathering, too, upon which they are

Pointing out

1. that participating organizations represented at this gathering are fully devoted and wish to contribute to the successful implementation of EUSDR and its' priority areas,

2. to share their concern about the absence

of information about the progress of

implementation of Danube strategy in

2012,

3. their expressed and common opinion that

the dissemination of EUSDR information

has not yet reached all potential

stakeholders but only a few governmental

bodies and NGO’s,

4. in concluding that some of the Steering

Committees work well, but others are slow

and inefficient,

5. support a horizontal program to be

designed for implementing measures that

contribute to the fulfillment of the Danube

Strategy Objectives, driven by the lowest

possible level to citizens and businesses;

Recommending open discussions with respective officers of EUSDR about steps and actions they are going to do in the future and how to formulate budgets in the next programming period. During their meetings in EU institutions the participants insisted on:

1. giving more space and stronger position for NGOsin project preparation and selection, bearing in mind that CSOs could help in project development with their efforts in monitoring project execution in different countries during planning, design and execution stages,

2. to control how these Danube-Region projects will be guided by the Authorities in different countries in accordance withEU-decisions and how could be transparency enforced during the entire procedure,

3. to establish an international monitoring civil organization that would be able to control the development of EUSDR projects in the different countries of the concerned region, and in the Middle and of Lower Danube countries in particular, during the next 2012-2020 budget of the Danube Strategy,

4. for solving this problem particularly in the area of flood protection they suggest to allocate an international budget, which should constitute separate financing from national budgets for facilitating a confirmed solution to prevent from floods in the future,

5. placing special attention to appropriate technical solutions of these arrangements and execution works as a whole must be realized by experts and manpower of the interested countries, giving additional opportunities to the people of the locality in question to open new employment

VII

opportunities in this region.

Urging to

6. improve the existing monitoring system over the progress of each priority area, as in other operative programs is used, with involving CSO's,

7. hold the project labeling within the framework of monitoring the implementation by the the institutional system of the current EU's Multi-Annual Financial Framework,

8. stop absence or insufficient comprehensive communications with civil

society organizations and general public that is characteristic for some of PACs and Steering Group members,

9. improve the overview of activities on the Internet, as some of Steering groups' and their working groups' activities are not sufficiently transparent,

10. to make public all information on activities of Steering Groups and high level committees also in phases of preparation – on the base of EC' communication about the EUSDR (Council conclusions on the European Union Strategy for the Danube Region 3083rd General Affairs Council meeting).

International Organizing Committee of the DaNet Conference-Series

Verified by István Szivássy (HU) President of the International Organizing Committee, Prof. Dr. Edita Stojić Karanović (RS), Vice President

of the International Organizing Committee (HU), Prof. Dr. Pal Hajas, Vice President of the International Organizing Committee

VIII

TO THE FIRST ANNUAL STAKEHOLDER CONFERENCE REGENSBURG

Regensburg (DE) Joint Declaration to the EUSDR Produced on the DaNet Conference devoted to the European Union's Danube Macro-Regional Strategy

Regensburg – DaNet Conference, 27 – 28. November 2012

Representatives of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) from countries of the Danube region, who gathered in Regensburg (DE) - 27/28. 11. 2012. - views about the European Union Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR) and on problems and proposals for solving them in the field of involvement of CSOs –

Welcoming

the support of the Citizenship Program of the European Union (EACEA) to create and implement the DaNet Conference Program which in its' framework enables NGOs and CSOs to get broader insight in EUSDR, its' priority areas (PAs) with opportunity to express their views and discuss problems tackled at these conferences,

the fact that the Danube River Basin countries major national political factors consider EUSDR as important and continue to support its implementation;

Declare the strongest interest of participating organizations in the implementation of EUSDR and in the fulfillment of goals stated in the program of the Action Plan for all Priority Areas which were discussed during the whole DaNet Conference-series. Upon that experiences and the debate at the 1st Stakeholder Conference of the EUSDR the following comprehensive, structural recommendations are given to the EUDRS 2014-2020:

Recommend at the same time raising efficiency of EUSDR's implementation, as:

1. The EU Danube Strategy and priority areas of its' Action Plan have to be integrated with

a. the 2020 Action Plan, policies of cross-cutting strategies of the European territorial cooperation and neighborhood programs that are relevant to the Danube Basin, and

b. national development strategies and national reform programs of interested member countries.

About that in the legislation on Multi-annual Financial Framework and on EU Funds have to be provided regulations on the right place.

While in case of non-member countries they should be included in regulatory documents, work plans concerning their relations with the EU.

2. Despite of political agreement, in the reality begins to emerge an independent institutional system (PAC, steering groups) that results more duplication, dysfunctions and increased bureaucracy, so that the system is more characterized with detachment, than integration. To put an end to this, since the Danube Strategy Initiative started from interested countries (!)

a. implementation and management of the EUSDR should be included in existing regional and national development organizations and

b. in the next financial Multi-annual Financial Framework's development institutions and instruments: Territorial Investments (ITI), the CLLD, CSF (Common Strategy Framework), the generation and implementation of programs and projects of the EUSDR should be integrated as the immediate task of Regional Cooperation

c. the EUSDR social dissemination and the evaluation of the implementation should be rather the function of Steering Groups, while the planning, programming, project generation and monitoring should be the responsibility of states concerned, of theirs' existing spatial development and general development institution system, professional policy organizations. This would better serve not only efficiency but the real implementation of the EUSDR.

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3. The EUSDR' Action Plan and the EU 2020 Strategy contently must not beparallel, as parallelism gives opportunity to bureaucracy establishing unnecessary operations, administration, institutional organizations The adopted EU's Strategy 2020 already include objectives and actions of EUSDR Action Plan's priority areas.

If the special aspects of EUSDR would be integrated into the 1st and 2nd points of the existing structure in according sections, they prevail and will be implemented in practice.

Therefore, it will be useful to re-define EUSDR Action Plan for the pre-2020 period, and only a few specialized and complex priority areas should be identified in order to link to them many local, regional, national, crossborder and trans-national projects.

Along the EU2020 strategy the Danube basin could be a complex special focus area

Danube Basin identity development in coherence with ensuring sustainability of natural resources, environment and cultural diversity,

providing infrastructure development supporting sustainable water governance, disaster prevention, free movement of goods, persons,

economic and social cohesion development in the direction of the more developed regions,

It is necessary to make clear particularly to governmental actors, Steering Group members, as well as to stakeholders, the civil society, media people, that the EUSDR Action Plan, defined by EU Council and Parliament, is not only for the Danube River and its' coast, but to the entire geographical and administrative areas of the Danube basin affected 13 countries and two German Federal states.

Therefore it is necessary to ensure in the course of implementation of the EUSDR an equal frequency in the future development

also to more remote areas of the Danube macro region.

Urging to –

inspect the practical implementation of the Danube Strategy so that it must no longer exist informal two-speed distinctions of countries, regions, because this practice is also against the substantive macro-regional targets of EU regional strategies,

review the labeling of all these projects considering that a project, which takes place in the Danube Basin and is in line with the EU 2020 strategy, represents also the project implemented through the Danube Strategy,

hold the project labeling within the framework of the monitoring the implementation by the the institutional system of the current EU's Multi - Annual Financial Framework , and in of within projects should be classified,

establishing labeling only for projects or support issues on trans-national (including minimum of 3-4 countries);

Regarding the implementation of the Danube Strategy, it would be possible and necessary, to tag projects of various topics and scope as „best practices” - similarly to procedures already established in the EU practice, which have a propagandist effect (EU awards, activities, competitions).

Regretting the absence of comprehensive communications with the general public about the Danube strategy, since the citizens are the ones most interested in the implementation of the Strategy. The same problem exists regarding civil society organizations.

Proposing that the governments of the countries concerned enable international navigation on the suitable Danube tributaries and provide the necessary conditions. This would have positive impact not just on the water traffic, tourism, economy and employment in the regions concerned, but also on the role of Danube as a sustainable transcontinental waterway.




X

AS THE RESULT OF THE OPEN MEETING OF DANET CONFERENCE-SERIES

Budapest Begining Joint Declaration to the EUSDR

Produced on the DaNet Open Conference devoted to the European Union's

Danube Macro-Regional Strategy

On the first DaNet Conference, Budapest (HU) 29-30 November, 2011

Representatives of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) of Austria,

Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Moldova, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia and Slovenia, who

gathered in Budapest, Hungary on 29-30 November 2011 for a conference to exchange their views about the

European Union Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR) hereby declare that their organizations are interested

in and devoted to the implementation of the EUSDR and wish to contribute to its success. Therefore they:

Welcome the support of the Citizenship

Programme of the European Union which enables

the NGOs and civil societies, in the framework of

the DaNet Conference Programme, that

− more and more of them can join the actual implementation of the EUSDR along its Priority Areas;

− they acquire adequate and up-to-date information on the EUSDR, its Action Plan, Priority Areas and working mechanisms;

− personal contacts and cooperation can be built in order to generate and implement projects.

Express their agreement with the content of the

Action Plan of the EUSDR highlighting

that: „…In addition civil society in some

countries remains relatively weak.

Cooperation with authorities, and even

communication remain limited. The

capacity of civil society to influence region-

wide decision making processes, policy-

making and implementation needs to be

developed further. One manifestation of

these weaknesses is that the capacity for

absorbing development funds in an

efficient and effective way varies

throughout the region. In practical terms,

this needs to be strengthened and better

coordinated, through know-how transfer

and other measures e.g. by providing

assistance to strengthen skills in designing

and implementing projects with cross

border impact.”

Welcome the „Action - “To improve the trust of

citizens and stakeholders in political

authorities” This action should open up a

discussion about the role of civil society in

this respect. An open dialogue with

different authorities and institutions, and

a better acknowledgement of civil society

expertise and views in public service is

needed. The communication skills of civil

society should be reinforced to promote

confidence building measures (inc. post-

conflict management) in the region. There

is a need to strengthen a networking

culture (e.g. regional, local or city

networks, links with the private sector as

well as religious and cultural

communities)”

Agree with the Action “To establish a Danube Civil

Society Forum” promoting the idea of a

Danube Civil Forum as a pillar of civil

society participation in the Strategy. Such

projects could offer experience within the

field of civil society vs. state dialogue as

well as cross-border and trans-national

networking.

Remind that the proper interpretation of this

cannot be limited to the activity of a

hierarchic organization of some people,

civil associations, institutions. It is also

agreed that in the implementation of the

EUSDR the networks of NGOs (among

them the civil organizations), involving

XI

already tens of thousands of organizations

and representing professional interests

can meet the requirements of efficient and

successful cooperation between civil

societies and state institutions.

Request that only the joint discussion forum of the

NGOs and civil societies, which are dealing

with and are interested in the

implementation of the EUSDR, can be

considered as the competent partner in

the institutional structure of EUSDR

coordination in cooperation with the

Commission of the EU and Member States

concerned.

Agree that the joint discussion forum of the NGOs

and civil societies, which are dealing with

and are interested in the implementation

of the EUSDR, should be organized in

different interested countries according to

annual rotation.

Urge the need from more comprehensive

information flow that following the

generalities should be directed towards

concrete actions and projects.

Point out the importance the information about

the EUSDR to reach the smallest NGOs and

CSOs in the entire Danube Region.

Propose adequate communication as soon as

possible about the planning of financial

resources of the EUSDR in the process of

discussing about the Future of Cohesion

Policy – EU Budget for 2014-2020 and well

placed funding mechanism for the entire

Danube Basin.

Request Member States governments and the

European Commission to create an

enabling financial mechanism which will

facilitate development and

implementation of projects that belong to

the 11 pillars listed in the Action Plan

targeting at high-level results during the

next budgeting period.

Dated in Budapest, on 30 November 2011




XII

THE RESULT OF THE BUDAPEST SUMMIT OF DANET CONFERENCES

Joint Declaration and

Draft on the formation of the Danube Basin Rural Development and Landscape Cluster (DBRDLC)

DaNet Conference, Budapest 12-14. December 2012

Representatives of municipalities, local governments, NGO’s and other

stakeholder organizations from the eligibility area of the EU Danube Macro-

Regional Strategy (EUSDR), from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia,

Hungary, Serbia, Slovakia and Romania have gathered in Budapest on 12-14. December , 2012 for exchanging

their views on EUSDR, and on the proposal for setting up the Danube Basin Rural Development and Landscape

Cluster (DBRDLC). Participants hereby unanimously declare, that their organizations are interested in the

implementation of EUSDR and DBRDLC and wish to contribute to its success.

I. General Suggestions

Stakeholders’ representatives of the above Forum are in full agreement to make all possible efforts to carry out

the following activities latest until the end of 2014:

1. Information sharing and dissemination

2. Foster project generating process,

3. Develop networks and a broad partnership,

4. Stimulate bottom-up planning activities.

Participants of the DaNet Budapest Conference

considered to communicate prevailing difficulties

regarding EUSDR and its implementation:

Although it has been approved by EU

Forums in June 2011, since then the EU

Danube Strategy has no visible operative

and explicit legal and financial instruments

hence it makes difficult for citizens to

develop projects.

The EU Baltic Strategy may be studied as

an operational model for EUSDR, however

the actual geography of the Danube

region is different from the Baltic’s. This

has to be considered when shaping

EUSDR.

Currently there are too much emphasis

given to the Danube River itself, whereas

the potential area of the Strategy is much

wider since the territory of 14 stakeholder

countries (except Germany, from which

only two federal states Bavaria and Baden-

Württemberg) are actively involved.

There is lack of communication to the

general public about EUSDR. Since the

citizens are the biggest stakeholders of the

Strategy, their ideas and active

cooperation is crucial, thus if real results

are to be achieved, they need to be well

informed.

The National Development Programs of

Member States concerned should be the

ones that implement the Strategy because

they already have the institutional

background, operational possibilities and

the existing network that can

communicate their ideas, find partners

and bring the Strategy to operation.

Regional and national development

organizations have to be integrated into a

common system, thus eliminating the

duplication of processes and the

XIII

parallelism of organizations and EU

institutions.

Currently the Priorities of the Danube

Strategy are too broad and some of them

are being considered by the EU2020

Strategy, thus the focus should be on some

of the middle and long-term horizontal

questions of EUSDR, and the Steering

Groups should be focusing on these

questions.

Participants are convinced that the

European Union should effectively

implement EUSDR with the leadership of

member-states (and the formed clusters

and NGO’s) with minimum involvement

and less possible bureaucracy from EU

institutions.

A bottom-up information sharing

and the program/project development

should be the most important in the

process till 2014. If this is implemented

than there is a visible

involvement/commitment to participants.

II. Special Suggestions

EUSDR has to give more attention to multi-cultural

and multi-ethnic cooperation in the Danube Region

with an addition to religion and church, too. The

Danube Basin Region has colourful cultural

heritage and a lot of very positive examples of

living fruitfully together. Also it is important for the

integration of national minorities and

disadvantaged people in general.

With regards to Rural Development the local

customs and the heritage of the Danube Region

should be collected and further developed

according to existing good example methods as the

Hungarian “Táncház Model”.

Participants emphasized the importance of

cooperation and networking: “together we are

stronger”, with stressing the need for the core idea

of being equal partners in this process.

Participants stressed the importance of the water

level of the Danube River which causes economic

losses in business activities. There can be no

efficient blue way transport (waterways) if

possibilities are inefficient (151 days the waterway

is unusable, 16,3 % loss in capacity, efficiency

remains only 71%). The water management in

stakeholder countries should be a priority on

order to improve transport of goods at diversified

and green (environmentally friendly) way.

In the central part of the Danube Region there is no

transport of large containers on waterways

(causing losses and problems in transport) thus

increasing pollution, more cars and trucks on the

roads in the region, in addition to slower and more

expensive transportation. Intermodal transport

cannot be implemented without waterways.

The European Parliament confirmed the

importance of Non-Governmental Organizations

and Civil Society Institutions (NGO’s and CSO’s), in

the implementation of EUSDR which is understood

additionally on the 2014-2020 Multi-Annual

Financial Framework.

Participants stressed the important role of NGO’s

and CSO’s to support regional initiatives in

implementation of EU directives for the Danube

Region and the Western Balkan countries.

XIII

III. Danube Basin Rural Development and Landscape Cluster

Participants of the conference decided to initiate the formation of the Danube Basin Rural Development and

Landscape Cluster (DBRDLC) 1 and agreed in the following:

1. In the near future, if a truly operational and effective organization is wished to be created, a balanced

organizational structure has to be developed. The following issues need to be addressed before the

formation, so that EU incentives and policies, together with EU cohesion policy can be implemented

effectively and equally in the entire region.

2. A statute needs to be written so that all participating organizations have to get a clear understanding

about work practices, goals and structure of DBRDLC.

This statute shouldhave the following elements of its structure:

Name and Purpose of the DBRDLC

Membership requirements

Rights and obligations of members

Headquarters

Decision making bodies

Presidency and leadership

Voting and other organizational procedures

Financial organizing system and Membership fees

Work plan should be prepared for the establishment (articles of status, elections), operation (annual

meetings, information systems, operational patterns, debates, publications, etc). for DBRDLC.

The Danube Basin Rural Development and Landscape Cluster/Forum wishes to be a new dimension of

cooperation based on incentives of the EU Danube Macro-regional Strategy (EUSDR), with the aim to

create a Danube Basin-wide network of NGO’s.

Potential members of DBRDLC are:

national rural development networks,

landscape management organizations,

small and medium sized businesses (farms, local services, commerce, tourism, industry,

handicrafts, etc.) in rural areas,

institutes of integrated community spaces,

local governments, etc.,

governmental institutions,

nature and national parks,

water -, land and cultural heritage management institutions,

The new network should cover the entire geographical area of the Danube Basin.

1 Danube Basin Rural Development and Landscape Cluster (DBRDLC) which would be similar but

naturally not same as the Nordic-Baltic National Rural Networks (NRN) cluster or the Mediterranean macro-

regional NRN cluster.

XIV

Networking is one of the most crucial elements in development, thus the Danube Basin Rural Development and

Landscape Cluster/Forum has the aim to provide a stabil surface for these entities to communicate and

cooperate with each other, representing the interest of the Danube basin rural area.

For the purpose of creation a Danube Basin Regional Rural Development and Landscape Cluster the signatories

of this Declaration are in agreement that:

the European Union’s Danube Strategy allows countries to set new common objectives and define new

dimensions of cooperation through their stakeholder organizations, linked by the historical Danube

Region,

the EU Danube Strategy offers suitable platform for strengthening cohesion among Rural Development

stakeholders,

planning of the 2014-2020 Multi Annual Financial Framework (MMF) requires careful coordination and

concerted efforts by EU Member States, candidate members and Non-EU Members of the Danube

Basin,

the Danube Strategy served as an inspiration for founding the Danube Basin Rural Development and

Landscape Network/Cluster (DBRDLC). The beginning of establishment of DBRDLC in 2012

representnew dimensions of cooperation, and which aims to enforce the common representation and

advocacy of rural development organizations, farmers, public bodies and NGOs operating and living in

the Danube Basin.

Objectives of DBRDLC are to:

11. facilitate regional networking of rural organizations concerned,

12. develop common programs and projects for member organizations with similar challenges (agricultural

production adversely affected by climate change, heavy floods, increased demand for renewable

energy, heritage, etc.),

13. strengthen the role of the Danube river and its tributaries, channels, as a rural and eco-touristic belt,

respecting the conscious environment protection,

14. develop clusters of special interests and prepare investment projects for EU funding after 2014,

including coordinated training programs

15. organize and disseminate information of best practice examples and conduct rural conferences in order

to propagate common programs,

16. support the important role of LEADER local action groups (LAGs) and Community Led Local

Development (CLLD) in the preparation and implementation of rural development programs.

Participants of the Conference considers that economic cohesion is the engine of economic convergence and

competitiveness, which are to ensure the sustainable development of the Danube basin. Therefore they

willingly signed this document.

Participants of the conference propose communication as soon as possible, in addition to the forming of an

Organising Committee which will have the task of formulating the organizational background of the DBRDLC.

They commissioned the following persons to represent the DBRDLC initiative in countries of the Danube Basin

and towards institutions of EU. There persons became members of the international working group which

determine the details of the DBRDLC’s work plan:

Representatives of DBRDLC Countries e-mail

Ms Emina Ahmetović - Association for Development, Advancement and Promotion of Ecological Agriculture, Tourism and Environment Protection – EKOPOT

Bosnia-Herzegovina + Croatia and

[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]#_blank

XV

Msc. Biljana Savic – Director of the Branch-office of International Scientific Forum "Danube - River of Cooperation"

Slovenia [email protected]

Ms Mariela Savkova Valkova – Head of the Regional Information Center, Vidin

Bulgaria + Ukraine

[email protected]

Ms Plamka Radoslavova - President of Wallachians Association from Bulgaria

[email protected]

Mr. István Szilvássy - Member of the Hungarian National Rural Network’s Council, president – Association of the Hungarian Settlements’ and Regions’ Developers plus EUC Agri ENRD

Hungary + Austria

[email protected]

Prof. Dr. Pál Hajas – Director Euragro Agricultural & Rural Development, LAG Cserhatalja LEADER, DAGENE Association

[email protected], [email protected]

Mr. Zoltan Horvath – President of Hangya Association Romania + Moldova

[email protected]

Prof. Dr. Marcel Matiuti – Banat’s University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, President of the Transilvanian Rare Breeds

[email protected]

Prof. Dr. Edita Stojic Karanovic – President of the International Scientific Forum "Danube - River of Cooperation"

Serbia + Baden-Wurtenberg + Bavaria + Montenegro

[email protected]

Mr. Robert Dobo – Spokesperson “UKROK” (Association of Entrepreneurs)

[email protected]

[email protected]

Ms Mirjana Jocic, Director of OMA Waters, Pancevo

Mr Michal Demes – Manager of Masek Mill Slovakia +Czech Republic

[email protected]

Dated in Budapest on the 13th of December 2012.











mailto:[email protected]


16

PRIORITY AREAS (PA) ’ JOINT

DECLARATIONS

PA1/A. – WATERWAYS I.

Rotterdam (NL) Joint Declaration Produced on the DaNet Round Table Conference devoted to the European Union's Danube

Macro-Regional Strategy focused on the Priority Area 1a of the EUSDR:

‘To improve mobility and multimodality: Inland waterways’

Rotterdam – DaNet Conference, 23. October 2012

Representatives of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) from countries of the Danube region, who gathered in Rotterdam on 23. October 2012 in order to gain experiences through visiting the Harbour of Rotterdam and exchanging their views on the problems and proposals for solving them in the field of improving mobility and multimodality on inland waterways:

Welcome the support of the Citizenship Program of the European Union (EACEA) to create and implement the DaNet Conference Program which in its' framework enables NGOs and CSOs to get broader insight in EUSDR, its' priority areas (PAs) with opportunity to express their views and discuss problems tackled at those PAs, and PA 1a in particular;


organizations in the implementation of EUSDR and

in fulfillment of goals stated in the program of the

Action Plan for the Priority Area 1a (“To improve

mobility and multimodality: Inland waterways”)

Pointing out that participating organizations are fully devoted and wish to contribute to achieving a successful implementation of EUSDR in all, and its' priority area concerning improvement of mobility and multimodality on inland waterways in particular;

Recommending to give preferences to actions defined in the Action Plan of the PA1a as “To improve mobility and multimodality: Inland waterways” so that the following could be effectively implemented:

1. utilization of water-flows in an

environment-friendly manner,

launching the renewable energy

propulsion in shipping,

2. turning the road traffic onto rivers

and channels, and to realize a

totally equalized flow-rate in

different traffic modes,

3. having seen the giant water-works on the

territory of Rotterdam Sea-Port and the

establishing of new Liquefied Natural Gas

(LNG) Terminal, participants recommend to

decision makers of the Danube Macro

Region countries to consider developments

in their countries in modernizing inland

ports and prepare LNG infrastructure

projects mainly on areas with agriculture

and with city sewages and wastes,

4. being very impressed by the huge traffic of

the container terminal of Rotterdam, and

considering container transportation as

one of the most important part of the

efficiency of transportation in the near

future, this transportation system must get

17

priority in inland transportation as well,

5. international container transportation on

the road should be replaced with container

transportation on inland waterways,

6. renewable energy should gain much more

space of usage in the inland navigation,

therefore EU and EUSDR countries should

give priority in financing the engine-change

for all owners of shipping units having

propulsion units older than ten years;

Repeatedly

7. urging for realization of entries made in Timisoara Joint Declaration and additionally for building the Danube-Tisa Canal in Hungary, and by that to prevent the desertification in Homokhátság area, and establishing rich agriculture place for vegetables and fruits for the entire Eastern part of Hungary, Serbia and Western Ukraine,

8. joining to the “LIMES-Program” of the upper Danube part, and excavate the Roman remains and memories in the

9. South-East countries of the Danube Basin, and building-up the chain of the whole LIMES-Network on the entire territory of EUSDR,

Expressing readiness to commit and involve in the programming process, defying Port’s visions and project implementation.




18

PA1/A.– WATERWAYS II.

Timisoara (RO) Joint Declaration to the Produced on the DaNet Conference devoted to the European Union's Danube Macro-Regional Strategy focused on the Priority Area 1a of the EUSDR: ‘To improve mobility and multimodality: Inland waterways’

Timisoara (RO) – DaNet Conference, 5. October 2012

Representatives of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) from countries of the Danube region, who gathered in Timisoara, Romania on 5. October 2012 for a conference to exchange their views about the European Union Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR) in general and on problems and proposals for solving them in the field of improving mobility and multimodality on inland waterways in particular

Welcome the support of the Citizenship Program of the European Union (EACEA) to create and implement the DaNet Conference Program which in its' framework enables NGOs and CSOs to get broader insight in EUSDR, its' priority areas (PAs) with opportunity to express their views and discuss problems tackled at this conference;


organizations in the implementation of

EUSDR and in fulfillment of goals stated

in the program of the Action Plan for the

Priority Area 1a (“To improve mobility

and multimodality: Inland waterways”)

which were discussed, and upon which

they are living in the area of side-rivers

and channels of the Danube and Tisa,

deeply interested in their developments.

Pointing out that participating organizations

are fully devoted and wish to contribute to the achieving of successful implementation of EUSDR in all, and its' priority area concerning improvement of mobility and multimodality on inland waterways in particular,

offering to establish an international monitoring civil organization what will be able to control the development of EUSDR projects, in different countries of the region of lower Danube countries during the period of the next budget of the Danube Strategy;

Recommending to give preference to actions defined in the Action Plan of the PA1a as “To improve mobility and multimodality: Inland waterways” so that the following could be effectively implemented:

1. the utilization of water-flows in an

environment-friendly manner,

2. launching the renewable energy

propulsion in shipping,

3. turning the road traffic onto rivers and

channels, and to realize a totally equalized

flow-rate among different traffic modes,

4. setting up networks and innovative pilot

activities, cooperation projects in order to

contribute in abolishing borders and

bringing regions together,

5. promoting international regional

cooperation, it was concluded that it is

necessary to develop the system of

international projects in connection with

main tributaries of the Danube - the rivers

Drava, Sava, Tisa, Ibar, Morava, and the

Danube-Tisa-Danube (DTD) canal;

6. to develop unified safe and secure

waterway traffic system under the control

of multimodal information tools what is

connected directly to an alarm-system in

case of any weather damages or

hooliganism, or destruction,

7. to achieve the decrease the social-

economic differences between the nations

19

in this region, by the utilization of local

resources, and the unused or wasted

agricultural possibilities;

Urge to

1. restore the original design of the DTD Canal which represents a multi-functional water management system encompassing the Grand Bačka canal, the Sombor lock, 14 canals of 694,2 km in total length (with Banat watercourses, DTD makes the unique hydro-technical entirety of 929 km long) 16 locks, 26 sluices and weirs and 5 pumping stations of high capacity,

2. implement a focused education and public information about all problems and proposals for solving them in the sphere of PA 1a,

3. involve the independent civilian initiatives for the implementation and control of project activities focused on improvement of mobility and multimodality on the

Inland waterways, particularly in the Middle Danube basin.

4. restore the old traditions of the nations who were living close the natural waterway routes, and supported the nearby cities with their products as market-skippers,

5. renew the presentation of the old heritages, monuments and history of inland shipping on the shores of waterways, together the education and free time passions of water-sports for the youth,

6. organize a unified rescue and technical-aid system on the waterway, by working-out an international cooperation of civil organizations,

7. establish a simplified, paperless international system for border-crossing traffic both for passengers and freight-

forwarding purposes.




20

PA1/B. RAIL-ROAD-AIR I.

Lendava (SL) Joint Declaration to the EUSDR

Produced on the DaNet Conference Devoted to the European Union's Danube Macro-

Regional Strategy focusing on the Priority Area 1b:

‘Improving Mobility and Multimodality ’

Lendava (SLO) – DaNet Conference, 12. January, 2012

Representatives of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) from Croatia, Hungary, Austria and Slovenia, who gathered within the framework of the DaNet Conference Series in the City Hall in Lendava, Slovenia on 12. January 2012 with special focus on the Priority Area 1b of the EUSDR – created their views and suggestions, that is formulated in this Joint Declaration.

Participants and organizers of the Conference expressing their gratitude to the Self-government of Lendava and

to the lecturers of the Conference for enabling them to overview many questions in the field of Rail-, Road- and

Air Transport and of development possibilities of the Mura-Drava sub-region, and to discuss these issues after

the introductory presentations and in the framework of an Open Space session.

The Conference Participants

a. Finding it important to intensify

and brighten the communication of the

EUSDR to the entire geographical area of

the Danube River Basin, well beyond the

immediate River Danube strip.

b. Considering particular

importance for the success of EUSDR to

disseminate full and practical information

to citizens, local governments and social

partners in sub-regions concerned that are

beyond from the immediate Danube line.

c. Drawing attention to

establishment and development of the

Mura-Drava-Danube Trans-boundary

Biosphere Reserve (MDD-TBR) which five

countries (Austria, Croatia, Hungary,

Serbia, Slovenia) were adopting an

agreement aiming at the conservation and

restoration of the natural and semi-

natural status of their habitats and

ecosystems in the cross-border area,

signed in Maribor, 24 September 2008;

Appealing to EU institutions and Government

bodies of Member States concerned to

facilitate best possible synchronization of

the EU TENT-T programme and the Action

Plan of the Danube Strategy for the

development of the “CETC-ROUTE 65”

Central European transport corridor

connecting North Europe and Baltic States

with the Southern Mediterranean Region

crossing Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria,

Hungary, Slovenia and Croatia and create

flagship development projects under Priority

1/b of the Danube Strategy. Such projects

should include urgency for RO-LA type road

and rail development options in order to

reduce risks of fatal accidents, air and noise

pollutions in the concerned area and along

roads No. 86 and 70 in Hungary in

particular.

21

d. Calling attention to the

importance of new railroad constructions

in order to improve efficiency of regional

and trans-continental transportation.

e. Welcoming the decision of the

Hungarian Government which gives

particular importance to the development

of rail corridors 4 and 5.

Requesting the Slovenian and Hungarian

Governments to give high priority to the

railroad connection development for Rédics-

Lendava, and Beltinci-Lendava sections, in

order to establish efficient rail connections

between the Western part of the Carpathian

basin and the Adriatic areas...

Suggesting to concerned governments to

undertake elaboration of feasibility studies

covering new railroad directions, efficient

utilization of new rail networks and consider

involvement of effective rail companies (etc.

GYSEV.)

Calling attention to consider cross-border

importance for local utilization of small rivers,

establish local ferry connections (Mura-Dráva-

Duna) for improved transportation of

agricultural products and local/regional

tourism.




22

PA1/B. RAIL-ROAD-AIR II.

Ljubljana (SL) Joint Declaration to the EUSDR

Produced on the DaNet Conference devoted to the European Union's Danube Macro-Regional Strategy focusing on the Priority Area No1b: ‘To improve mobility and multimodality: rail, road and air transport’

Ljubljana (SI) – DaNet Conference,18-19. November 2012

Representatives of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) from

countries of the Danube region, who gathered in Ljubljana, Slovenia on 18-19. November 2012 for a conference

to exchange their views about the European Union Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR) in general and on

the problems and proposals for solving them in the field of mobility, multimodality, rail, road and air

transportation:


Programme of the European Union (EACEA) to

create and implement the DaNet Conference

Programme which in its' framework enables the

NGOs and CSOs to get broader insight in EUSDR,

its' priority areas with opportunity to express their

views and discuss problems tackled at this

conference;

Declare

the strongest interest of participating


EUSDR and in fulfillment of goals stated in

the program of PA1b of the Action Plan

that were presented by lectures and

discussed first day at a round-table

gathering, second day joining the First

annual stakeholder conference

organized under the title "The Danube

region transport days 2012";

that participating organizations are

devoted and wish to contribute to the

achieving of successful implementation of

EUSDR in all, and its' priority area

concerning the goals of the Action Plan

concerning improvement of mobility and

multimodality in rail, road and air

transportation.

Support

suggestions for improvement of travel

times for competitive railway passenger

connections between major

cities,

implementation of 4 rail freight corridors

crossing the Danube region as planned

within 3 or 5 years and possible inclusion

of a new corridor with added value of

linking

together EU and non-EU member states'

railway systems,

the proposal developing efficient multi-

modal terminals at Danube river ports and

dry ports to

connect inland waterways with rail and

road transport by 2020,

bringing to completion the TEN-T (rail and

road) Priority Projects crossing the

Danube Region, overcoming the difficulties

and the bottlenecks including

environmental,

23

economic and political, particularly in

cross-border sections”

implementation the Rail Freight Corridors

forming part of the European rail

network for competitive freight,

enhancing cooperation between air traffic

stakeholders in order to prepare a

plan to implement shorter plane routes,

ensuring sustainable metropolitan

transport systems and mobility”,

improvement regional, local and cross-

border infrastructure and access to

rural areas,

developing further nodal planning for

multimodality,

building-up further Intelligent Traffic

Systems by using environmental friendly

technologies, especially in urban regions,

closer regional cooperation in the air

transportation, particularly among

airports.

Request to governments of EUSDR countries to ensure balanced and continual participation in EUSDR.




24

PA2. – ENERGY I. + WATERWAYS

Drobeta-Turnu Severin (RO) Joint Declaration to the EUSDR

Produced on the DaNet Conference

devoted to the European Union's Danube Macro-Regional Strategy

focusing on Priority Areas

No1a: ‘To Improve Mobility and Intermodality:

Inland Waterways

and No2: ‘To Encourage more Sustainable Energy’

Drobeta Turnu-Severin (RO) – DaNet Conference, 4 October 2012

Representatives of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) of Hungary,

Romania, Serbia and Bulgaria, who gathered in Drobeta Turnu-Severin, Romania, on 4. October 2012 for a

conference to exchange their views about the European Union Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR), hereby

declare that their organizations are interested in and devoted to the implementation of the EUSDR and wish to

contribute to its success. Therefore they:

Welcome the

support of the Citizenship Programme of the

European Union (EACEA) to create and implement

the DaNet Conference Programme which in its'

framework enables NGOs and CSOs to get broader

insight in EUSDR, its' priority areas with

opportunity to express their views and discuss

problems tackled at this conference.

Declare that

8. participating organizations have the

strongest interest in implementation of

EUSDR and in the fulfillment of goals

stated in programs of PA1a and PA2 of the

Action Plan that were presented by

lectures and discussed using the „Open

Space” method,

9. participating organizations are devoted

and wish to contribute to the achieving of

successful implementation of EUSDR in all,

and its' priority area concerning the goal

to improving mobility and inter-modality

on

10. inland waterways’ of the Danube macro-

region and encourage of production and

use of more sustainable energy in the

entire region.

Request

the close integration of each priority areas

during the implementation of the Action

Plan on macro-regional level for the

success of EUSDR,

the Steering Group PA1a to do more in the

field of renewable energy and not only in

the biomass, wind and geothermic energy,

but in the fields of hydro - and nuclear

energy sources,

organizations of civil society and even

government organizations to explain to

EU Commission the importance of

development of a new cargo fleet for

Danube navigation taking into account

technical characteristics of waterways,

navigation on Danube representing an

economical way to transfer goods from

manufacturers to end-user and being

more green than road transportation,

implementation of the River Information

System (RIS) as a necessity to increase the

level of traffic along the Danube Corridor

and the safety as well deployment of the

modernized waterborne traffic

management infrastructure.

25

Propose to

Member States of the Danube Strategy the

road mapping in a short (2 years) and semi

long (5-7 years) period in order to get real,

visible and indeed perceived results in the

everyday life of the implementation of

Action Plan.

Urge for

improvement of the territorial

collaboration by raising the numbers of

participants and involving more

stakeholders’ levels into projects to

encourage more sustainable energy in the

Danube basin and to improve mobility and

inter-modality on the Danube shipping,

more comprehensive information flow

that, following the generalities, should be

directed towards the public for informing

it about the use of nuclear energy, for

concrete actions and projects,

establishing an appropriate framework to

optimize the internal market for inland

waterway transport, and to remove

barriers that prevent its increased use.

Suggested for the planning period of the European

funds 2014 – 2020:

f. Harmonization between the European and

national programs and inclusion of the

provisions regarding the priority of

programs in cross-border programmes

and the programmatic documentation;

g. Inclusion into cross-border cooperation /

national programmes of the provisions

regarding the changing of the nature of

eligible activities and costs; these being

necessary in projects implementation, it is

demanded the raise of the percent

representing the expenses with equipment

and integrated systems;

h. Inclusion of local partners (local councils,

county councils, organizations of civil

society into strategic projects developed

under the strategy.




26

PA2. – ENERGY II.

Brno (CZ) Joint Declaration to the EUSDR



focusing on the Priority Area No2:

‘Encouragement of Sustainable Energy Consumption’

Brno (CZ) – DaNet Conference, 3-4. April, 2012


countries of the Danube region, who gathered within the framework of the DaNet Conference Series supported

by the EU Commission in Brno (Czech Republic) on 3-4. April , 2012, with special focus on the Priority Area 2 of

the EUSDR formulated their views and suggestions concerning energy consumption problems and proposals for

switching on the sustainable use of energy-resources hereby declare:



NGOs and civil societies to debate and disseminate

relevant information in the framework of the

DaNet Conference Programme;




stated in the program of the 2nd

Point out that the organizations participants

are representing devoted and wish to

contribute to the achievement of the

successful implementation of EUSDR in all,

and of the program of encouragement of

sustainable energy consumption. But for

that stakeholders need to get all essential

information from the coordinators of

priority areas and Steering group

members. Unfortunately during the Brno

conference participants from the Danube

Region faced with anunprecedented

rejection from one of the PAC2, which had

lead to the lessening results of the

conference, and in the same time

demonstrated that some of PACs don't

understand their obligation in the

dissemination process about their given

mandate and formal tasks.

Urge for more enclosure of CSOs in discussing

strategy issues for sustainable energy

consumption by respective governments of

Danube region countries, and where there is

not yet developed such a strategy to do

that, while in countries where it is done (for

example in Hungary) but due to legislative

barriers the implementation of it is

impossible, to solve this problem, otherwise

the energy strategy will face with inefficient

development in their national economy

Propose adequate communication among

governments of the Danube region, their

better communication with of civil society

organizations in Danube region countries

about prevailing problems, needs and

possibilities of implementation of an

efficient program of encouragement of

sustainable energy consumption.

Request for removing obstacles and reviewing all

possibilities for implementation of EUSDR

and those of PA2 in particular:

Transparency and normativity, including

PACs and Steering Group members

Developing good relationships with financial

institutions and managing authorities

Inform and involve governments,in order to

facilitate better understanding about

technical matters of the energy strategy and

the sustainable energy utilization system

Start to implement the renewable energy

strategy

27

Restructure relevant funding systems

Train staffs in relevant projects in order to

increase the efficiency of the strategy

Use experts in professional matters

Develop cooperation with legislative and

governmental institutions

Increase opportunities for production and

use of biomass, solar energy, hydropower,

wind power

Support the balancing of electricity and

gas prices with better use ofrenwable

energies.

Urge that the European market of

renewable energies must be uniform and

should give similar supports for all

members of the EU.

Special rules should help to all Member

States, to achieve the most efficient

utilization of energy sources which is the

best in their own resource potential, as it

could be different from the geothermia,

solar, to hydro power or wind strength.

Carry out research for identification of

potential new energy sources, such as

algae technology, use of agricultural by-

products and solid wastes.

Reduce the utilization of fossil fuels!

Support should be directed towards

renewable energy sources.

Gigantic power plants based on biomass

use must not be supported, power

generating performance should be limited,

for example on 2 – 20 MW. Small plants

utilizing local raw materials should be

preferred.

Power transportation generated from

renewable raw materials have to be from

the immediate region, in order to reduce

environmental impact and reach higher

efficiency.

Climate change impacts should be taken

into account, e.g. in case of the use of

agricultural by-products

Counterbalance the impact of the energy

lobby.

Consider job creation in the renewable

energy production, installation and

servicing.

Creation of new jobs in production,

installation and servicing renewable

energies.

Creation of new professional activities by

training at all levels, incl. secondary

schools and universities.

Improve waste management technologies

Construct energy efficient buildings to

extend benefits to broader society.

Promote biogas inclusion into the power

grid network should be promoted as green

energy.

Pledge emphatic support to R&D, and the

production of bio-fuels.

Initiateaction plan sets forth the

implementation of the program of

economic backgrounds and creation of

market mechanisms.




28

PA3. CULTURE-TOURISM-PEOPLE&PEOPLE I.

Vidin Joint Declaration to the EUSDR



focusing on the 3rd Priority Area of the EUSDR:

‘To promote culture and tourism, people to people contacts’

Vidin (BG) – DaNet Conference, 21. September 2012


countries of the Danube region, who gathered in Vidin, Bulgaria on 21.September 2012 for a conference to

exchange their views about the European Union Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR) in the field of

promotion of culture and tourism, people to people contacts, hereby:





NGOs and CSOs to get broader insight in the

EUSDR, its' priority areas with opportunity to

express their views and discuss problems tackled at

this conference;




stated in the program of PA3, this time

especially on the goals stated in the Action

Plan of PA3 under points that were

discussed using the method of „Open

Space”. From talks to actions,

stakeholders in Vidin have agreed to

define and implement an action plan for

2013 containing the elaboration of a

common vision for joint tourism

development of the Danube region and

preparation of the strategy for tourism

development with few immediate

actions/projects turning the goodwill of

participants into actions (namely the

Pearls project and multi-cultural festivals).

Pointing out that organizations present are


achievement of the successful

implementation of EUSDR in all, and its'

priority area concerning the promotion of

culture and tourism, people to people

contacts:

Stakeholders from the Danube Region

who gained in Vidin have united to

address the Danube basin challenges and

its potential, and to reinforce the local

community efforts to overcome the

economic crisis in a sustainable manner in

particular. Only a sustainable tourism

development and intensifying people to

people’s tides can provide better socio-

economic development, competitiveness,

environmental management and resource

efficient growth in the region.

Participants in Vidin have agreed to put

more efforts in order to open to its near

neighbors, and the Black Sea region. They

stated that an EU Strategy for

development of tourism of Danube Region

shall contribute to EU objectives policy

initiatives, especially the Europe 2020

strategy.”

All Participants in Vidin have agreed that

it will be a key to achieve a high level

ownership on tourism development vision

29

and strategy and its specific strategic

objectives and the contribution of each

citizen in order to turn it into shared

sustainable progress for the region.

Organizations in Vidin have agreed to

attract research institutions from the

Danube region for delivery of information

and expertise in order to support efforts

of local stakeholders in identifying joint

measures for tourism development and

local partnerships/project ideas that

contribute to better socio- economic

cooperation between people and

countries within the Danube basin;

Draw attention of the general public and

decision-makers in countries of the

Danube macro region to the fact that the

Danube basin countries compared with

the European average have a wide

number of citizens with minority status,

the majority of them had to flee from their

homeland because of local wars and

dictatorships, or their homelands came

under the authority of other states in the

past centuries, but at the turn of the XX to

XXI centuries as well;

Urge for this fact should be taken in account by

the Steering Group PA3, as the ethnic

status, identity preservation, autonomy is

an important issue, not only the EU

achievements but also the cultural

diversity of the population of the Danube

River Basin as well. Regarding this it is

proposed that the Steering Group PA3

addresses this issue and to encourage

multi-ethnic communities, areas for

fruitful co-existence of good practice

dissemination. Also the religious diversity

should be taken as a value of the Danube

macro-region, where the Western and

Eastern Christian churches for centuries

meet the diverse religious and cultural

manifestations.

Recommending to Steering Group PA3

11. to establish and pursue a Danube basin

tourism vision enabling and stimulating

sustainable development in the region.

The vision shall take into account the

history of considerable conflict in the

region and to support a positive, shared

perspective of the future of people living in

the region,

17. for elaboration of the common tourism

strategy for the Danube Region as part of

the European Union Strategy for the

Danube Region (EUSDR) in compliance

with the goals for the macro-regional

strategy adopted by the European

Commission in December 2010 and

endorsed by the European Council in June

2011. The Strategy for tourism

development will seek to create synergies

and coordination between existing policies

and initiatives taking place across the

Danube Region,

18. to give support to the development of the

project named The Danube Pearls which

aimed to make a network of castles, forts,

palaces and to renew the role of cultural

tourist attractions and no-motor

pathways along the Danube River,

19. to give support to the proposal to held in

Vidin, where many nationalities live

together, a Danube Multi-cultural Festival

for the first time.




30

PA3. CULTURE-TOURISM-PEOPLE&PEOPLE II.

Giurgiu (RO) Joint Declaration to the EUSDR



focusing on the Priority Area NO3 of the EUSDR:

‘To Promote Culture and Tourism, People to People Contacts’

Giurgiu (RO) – DaNet Conference, 18 September 2012


countries of the Danube region, who gathered in Giurgiu, Romania on 18 September 2012 for a conference to

exchange their views about the European Union Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR) in general and on the

problems and proposals for solving them in the field of PA3 –



facilitate in creating and implementing the DaNet

Conference Programme which in its' framework

enables the NGOs and CSOs to get broader insight

in EUSDR, its' priority areas (PAs) with opportunity

to express their views and discuss problems tackled

at this conference;

Declare their utmost interest in the

implementation of EUSDR and in the

fulfillment of the goals stated in the Action

Plan, this time particularly on the goals

stated in the PA3 ;

Pointing out

• that participating organizations are devoted

and wish to contribute to the successful


priority area concerning promotion of

culture and tourism and people to people

contacts – bearing in mind the rich multi-

fold cultural heritage of the macro-region,

• that the potential of the tourism

endowments of the Danube basin are not

less relevant than those in other European

macro-regions, as absolute power attracts

many destinations in the region and the

European tourism offer can be found in all

aspect in every of the 14 Danube-basin

countries, and some countries are prominent

even at the world-scale tourism (Austria,

Croatia),

• they agree that the Intergovernmental

Steering Group of the PA3 calls for

construction and development of macro-

regional tourism brand.

Urge for

• attention and call the government and

local decision-makers' to recognize the fact

that all countries of the macro-regional

area have those potentials, conditions and

values (geographical, political, social) to

develop internationally competitive

tourism products, and not only in the

Danube upper reaches in high mountains,

sea coasts, main cities,

• therefore the national development

planning organs of governments must give

more opportunity to development and

implementation of tourism programs ;

Recommend to

1. previously treat as a priority for the EU

tourism destination management defined

for the entire macro-region standard

system and network design, as the whole

macro-region has the relevant potential

for tourism sector;

2. extend planning and management from

the Danube River on the whole macro-

regional space, such as

beaches, the mountains in the region

of tributaries

spas, visitors to the city, rural, cultural,

religious, sport and conference

3. local government and decision-makers to

pay attention, primarily prefer and

support complex projects like

1

the “Pearls of the Danube”,

− the tourist channel and tributaries

navigation or regional airports and

river ports...




31

PA4. WATER QUALITY I.

Komarno (SK) Joint Declaration to the EUSDR



focusing on the Priority Area No4 of the EUSDR:

‘To restore and maintain the quality of waters’

Komarno (SK) – DaNet Conference, February, 17th, 2012


countries of the Danube region, who gathered in Komarno, Slovakia on 17. February, 2012 for a conference to


problems and proposals for solving them in the field of restoring and maintaining the quality of waters in

particular hereby declare:




Programme which in its' framework enables NGOs

and CSOs to get broader insight into EUSDR, its'

priority areas with opportunity to express their

views and discuss problems tackled at this

conference;

Declare the significant interest of participating



the PA 4 of the program, with particular

emphasis on the goals stated in PA 4. of

the Action Plan under points that were

discussed using „Open Space”

Pointing out that organizations represented are


achieving of the successful


priority areas concerning of restoration

and maintenance the quality of waters;

Urge to give preference to the action defined in PA

4 of the Action Plan as “To strengthen

general awareness and facilitate exchange

of good practice inintegrated water

management issues in the Danube Basin

among decision-makers at all levels and

among the population of the Region”so

that the following could be effectively

implemented:

a. It is important to create local and regional

social base for EUSDR through transparency,

communication, involvement of population

in major decisions in all phases of the

process through civil organizations using

“think global-act local” principles.

Development of the Hungarian chapter of

EUSDR would be an essential asset.!

b. Dialogues should be promoted among 11+1

priority areas and identify connecting

points, synchronize horizontal views and

define independent thematic areas in order

to create a kind of pearl-chain of EUSDR. ;

c. Thematic areas in water management

should be well defined. These should include

issues of flood, water logging, drought,

hailstorms and many other interrelated

priority areas.

d. It is recommended to consider technical

matters in river regulation, planning and

implementing construction of dams, water

leveling, in order to support economic

improvement in the concerned area. Good

examples can be found in the upper

(German and Austrian) streams of Danube,

in the Loire Valley, along Sava and Moldva

rivers.

e. Create political agreement for the

promotion of best practice examples,

including hydrology, tourism and cultural

32

aspects. CSOs are well placed to take up

transparent local and regional

communication tasks of EUSDR towards the

wider public.

Recommend to review reasons of divided political opinion of professionals and the wider public on hydrology strategy of the Danube river and eliminate unnecessary differences and political barriers. Reconciliation of the Slovak-Hungarian legal dispute on Danube Hydropower is highly recommended.

Urge to implement the Action - “To promote measures aimed at reducing knowledge deficits, developing and transferring tools, methods and guidelines concerning the safeguarding of drinking water supply”:

The drinking water supply is becoming strategical issue in the Danube Region. Improvement is needed in water saving and water transport technologies. Quality and price control mechanisms should be put in place and best practices should be disseminated

Awareness raising campaigns should be designed and implemented in elementary schools for explaining the value of drinking water and water saving methods in households. Educational materials should be

produced and disseminated through ITC for better information of the wider public.

Call attention concerning the Actions of promoting

measures to limit water abstraction and to

foster and develop an active process of

dialogue and cooperation between

authorities responsible for agriculture and

environment to ensure that measures are

taken to address agricultural pollution”

that

Better cooperation required between

agriculture and environment protection in

order to reduce fertilizer and animal waste

pollution in water and soil. Urgent actions

are needed to promote best practice

examples in nitrate reduction and

emission control in large catchment areas.

Appropriate technologies should be

promoted to convert agriculture-origin

organic wastes into alternative energy

generation.

Agriculture by-products should be diverted

to biogas and energy production in a large

extent. Small-scale local energy producing

units must be promoted among farmers.




34

PA4. WATER QUALITY II.

Szarvas (HU) Joint Declaration to the EUSDR



focusing on the 4th Priority Area of the EUSDR:

‘To restore and maintain the quality of waters’

Szarvas (HU) – DaNet Conference, 13-14. June, 2012


countries of the Danube region, who gathered in Szarvas, Hungary on 13-14. June, 2012 for a conference to

exchange their views about the European Union Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR) in the field of

restoring and maintaining the quality of waters hereby declare:








this conference;


organizations in the implementation of the

EUSDR and in the fulfillment of the goals

stated in the program of PA4, this time

especially on the goals stated in the Action

Plan of PA4 under points that were

discussed using the method of „Open

Space”,

Pointing out that the organizations present are


achieving of the successful

implementation of the EUSDR in all, and

its' priority area concerning of restoration

and maintenance the quality of waters;

Draw attention of the general public and


Danube macro region to the following

statements concluded after the

presentations and discussions:

1. Issues of fish farming, tourism and fishing,

along with water treatment and shipping

have to be consideredin their

interconnection and interaction, too;

2. There are concerns about the intensive fish

farming if it would mean the same as

happened with intensive poultry farming,

causing negative impact on meat quality;

3. Cross-border cooperation, coordinated

work, exchange of information among

stakeholders in all sectors concerned,

including research institutions of

neighbouring countries are of particular

importance.

Recommending in the framework of the Action

Plan for PA4 regarding actions No 5, 11

and 12 the following:

4. On the 5th Action (“To establish buffer

strips along the rivers to retain nutrients

and to promote alternative collection

and treatment of waste in small rural

settlements”):

4/1. Forming buffer zones along watercourses to

retain nutrients; alternative waste and

waste water collection and treatment in

small rural settlements; designing bike

roads, green lanes along streams, rivers,

study trails, bird-watching places,

producing organic products. These have to

considered as public goods;

4/2. Ensuring exclusion of pollutants based on

monitoring;

35

4/3. To raise public awareness about dangers from

pollutants, and if possible achieve

complete exclusion of hazards by

engagement of local and higher-level

authorities;

4/4. Promote meetings and exchange of views of

environmentalists and economists on the

above issues in the framework of

additional conferences and symposia.

5. On the 11th Action of the Priority Area 4

directed on the limit of water abstraction,

recommend the following measures:

5/1. To create a correct database on water

resources and their users;

5/2. To determine possibilities of water-use in

legislation, depending upon the quality of

water (drinking water should not be used

for any other purpose);

5/3. To determine by Law all priority water-

consumers (human population, some

branches of industries), agriculture etc.;

5/4. Impose strict control (monitoring) on

appropriate water-use in accordance with

the above mentioned points of legislative

decisions.

6. Concerning the 12th Action of the Priority

Area 4:

6/1. Exchange of information on best practices in

promoting knowledge gained on the issues

of the Danube River Basin integrated

water management between policy-

makers on different levels, as well as

among the population of the region;

6/2. This activity must cover all fields of the

EUSDR's Action Plan;

6/3. Consistently it is needed to create a network of

smaller centers and intensive exchange of

information in all media channels: radio,

TV, Internet, publishing projects;

6/4. The already existing Info-network based in

Vienna center should give all kind of

support, assistance to the development of

several small info-centers;

6/5. Establishment of an Internet multi-lingual

Information Portal forum is needed.

Considering the possibility of special

publications to be printed in specific

thematic areas, and later creation of a TV

serial , that would show the cooperation in

the Danube region and its results by the

target areas.




36

PA5. ENVIROMENTAL RISKS I.

Kráľovský Chlmec & Pribenik (SK) Joint Declaration to the EUSDR


devoted to the European Union's Danube Macro-Regional

Strategy


‘To manage environmental risks’

Kráľovský Chlmec & Pribenik (SK) – DaNet Conference, 20-21. June 2012

Representatives of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) from countries of the Danube region, who gathered in Kráľovský Chlmec & Pribenik, Slovakia on 20-21. June, 2012 for a conference to exchange their views about the European Union Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR) in general and on the problems and proposals for solving them in the field of managing environmental risks in particular:

Welcome the support of the Citizenship Programme of the European Union (EACEA) to facilitate in creating and implementing the DaNet Conference Programme which in its' framework enables the NGOs and CSOs to get broader insight in EUSDR, its' priority areas (PAs) with opportunity to express their views and discuss problems tackled at this conference;

Declare their utmost interest in the implementation of EUSDR and in the fulfillment of the goals stated in the program of PA5, this time especially on the goals stated in the Action Plan of the PA5 ;

Pointing out that organizations participants are representing duly devoted and wish to contribute to the successful implementation of EUSDR in all, and its' priority area concerning management of environmental risks – bearing in mind that in the concerned geographical latitudes global surface temperature, extreme

temperature-differences in a short period can cause so far unprecedented progress of the weather: dry periods with deficient rainfall are followed by periods

of excessive rainfall that is impossible to be absorbed and accumulated by the

surface, which causes hydrological cycle disruption in nature.

Recommend

a. to make synthesis of the current protection of the

b. population, conducted in a relatively short time, combined with systemic measures, beneficially influencing the climate in the affected area, mitigating

c. extreme weather events, with the long term goal that is to change the method of management particularly in countries of the Eastern part of the Danube Basin,

d. to increase in forestry the accumulation capability of forest vegetation through “tailor-made” management for a particular area,

e. to retain as much water as possible on the upstream of river basins that is necessary for slowing its flow,

f. to establish a fund within self-governing regions that would help people and communities, affected by floods, and that could be used as financial

g. aid to municipalities and cities in taking

37

flood prevention measures.

Urge

a. to decrease the energy accumulating in

b. reservoirs and dams, because it is clear that objects on upper rivers flows are most affected by damage to real property (including roads,

c. bridges), which are caused by water erosion (washing out),

d. to stiffen on the central course all banks by half, vegetation way, piling-up stones, building water levels with a downstream floor, where

e. the water brakes, rotates and following the loss of kinetic energy gradually flows into the lower parts of watercourses,

f. to build water protection earth levies to the 100-year water level (one hundred water levels) on the lower river course to protect

g. municipalities’ urban areas in lowlands and plains,

h. to prevent and stop the construction and placement of buildings in areas that are affected by floods,

i. avoiding unnecessary damage to property of citizens as well as businesses,

j.

k. to find in agriculture the necessary consensus between the cultivation of today economically attractive crops and the cultivation crops that prevent

l. soil erosion and its degradation by nutrients washing out, and to find method of cultivation of arable land and rebuilding groves and baulks as natural seepage paths slowing surface water run-off from pastures and meadows, construction of dams on small

m. watercourses.




38

PA5. ENVIROMENTAL RISKS II.

Satu Mare (RO) Joint Declaration to the EUSDR




‘To manage environmental risks’

Satu Mare (RO) – DaNet Conference, 23 -24. March 2012

Representatives of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) from countries of the Danube region, who gathered in Satu Mare, Romania on 23-24. March 2012 for a conference to exchange their views about the European Union Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR) in general and on the problems and proposals for solving them in the field of managing environmental risks in particular

Welcome the support of the Citizenship Programme of the European Union (EACEA) to create and implement the DaNet Conference Programme which in its' framework enables NGOs and CSOs to get broader insight in EUSDR, its' priority areas (PAs) with opportunity to express their views and discuss problems tackled at this conference;

Declare the strongest interest of our organizations in the implementation of EUSDR and in the fulfillment of goals stated in the program of the PA5, this time especially on the goals stated in the Action Plan of PA5 under points 2 (“To support wetland and floodplain restoration as effective means of enhancing flood protection, and more generally to analyze and identify the best response to flood risk (including “green infrastructure”), 6 (“To develop rapid response procedures and plans in case of industrial accidental river pollution”) and 7 (“Anticipate regional and local impacts of climate change through research”) were discussed using the „Open Space” method, upon which we are –

Point out that participating organizations we are representing fully devoted and wish to contribute to the achieving of the successful implementation of EUSDR in all, and its' priority area concerning management of environmental risks;

Recommend to give preference to actions defined in the Action Plan of the PA5 as “To support wetland and floodplain

restoration as an effective mean of enhancing flood protection, and more generally to analyze and identify the best response to flood risk (including “green infrastructure” so that the following could be effectively implemented:

The preservation of “water living spaces” as an asset in fight against flooding, as the most appropriate answer to flood damages, also defining and analyzing the “green infrastructure”.

a. According to the already existing “Vásárhelyi” plan, the re-cultivation and assistance to flood area farming practices

b. Organic production and the industrial processing of goods.

c. Promoting agro- and eco-tourism through forming of eco-paths (walkways)

d. Re-installation of the area specific – native – green life.

e. Riverbank forests (as a defensive line). Possibility of forming green infrastructure. Wood processing in the area can become industrialised. This can create new jobs. The production produces biomass that can be used in energy production.

f. The importance of communication, informing local governments, also the education of local farmers regarding the new organic production through adult training and education. Building a net out of green-info-points. Grounding of “forest schools” for youth, with the possibility of aiding – partly financing - youth camps.

39

g. The development of organic farming through the enhancement of production of agrarian goods that are linked to flood-area livestock breeding practices.

h. Possibility of the rehabilitation of Krasna river – Ecsedi marshlands with the help of EU funds (tenders) against the desertification of certain parts of Hungary.

i. Rehabilitation and protection of side rivers – branches - of the Tur river.

Urge to implement Actions formulated as “To develop rapid response procedures and plans in case of industrial accidental river pollution” and “To anticipate regional and local impacts of climate change through research” by:

a. Focused education, informing the public, finding appropriate financing and the development of forecasting systems is an important and linked together task.

b. There is a need to research and develop, also to inform about novelties, organizing of the different levels of education is a must.

c. Involvement of independent civilian initiatives for the implementation and control of 1st and 2nd points can assure an objective answer – outcome.

d. The local development activity must consider the weather changing, the possibility of floods and droughts, through granting of financing needs of impact studies.




40

PA6. BIODIVERSITY, LANDSCAPES, QUALITY OF AIR AND SOILS

Osijek (HR) Joint Declaration to the EUSDR Produced on the DaNet Conference



‘To preserve biodiversity, landscapes and the quality of air and soils’

Osijek (HR) – DaNet Conference, 26. January 2012


countries of the Danube region, who gathered in Osijek, Croatia on January 26th, 2012 for a conference to


problems and proposals for solving them in the field preserving biodiversity, landscapes and the quality of air

and soils in particular, declare that by considering the priority areas of the Danube Strategy (PA6) biodiversity,

and with the "Open Space" method some other Priority Areas relating to PA6, namely PA3: to promote culture

and tourism, people to people contacts, PA7: to develop the knowledge-based society, and PA9: human

resources and investing in people and skills – created their views and suggestions, that is formulated in this Joint

Declaration. Hence Participants








this conference;

Declare their strong interest of our


EUSDR and in the fulfillment of the goals

stated in the program of PA6, as well as

the other priority areas we exchanged

views on, the PA3, PA7 and PA9, too;

Pointing out that the organizations they

represent are devoted and wish to

contribute to the achieving of the

successful implementation of EUSDR in

all, and of its' priority areas concerning

preservation of biodiversity, landscapes

and the quality of air and soils, promotion

of culture and tourism, people to people

contacts, development of the knowledge-

based society, the human resources and

investments in people and skills;

Support and urge, as well as recommend to give

preference to those human interventions or

intentions which on the territory of the

Danube river basin serves to

1. Protect the natural state of the riverbed by

retaining the free formation of the

riverbed

minimization of control, while

holding attention on needs of

flooding and ice protection, and the

navigation needs

2. Preservation and revitalization of the

floodplain

3. maintaining the natural environment of

the floodplains and river basins and

providing consistent management of use

by taking into account the natural changes

in rivers

4. Sustainable resource management – in

respect of rivers, forests, floodplains,

agricultural areas in particular:

reducing the use of chemicals in

agriculture and forestry,

41

extending and intensifying waste water

treatment (industrial, municipal),

carried out and promote the

replacement of intensive- with

extensive agriculture and forestry

management,

favoring sustainable tourism and

leisure activities, preservation of

images of the landscape, villages and

the countryside, the use of the local

farmers' products and services in

catering industry and tourism.

5. Reduction of invasive species

preventing the spread of new species,

by removal, reduction of existing

species,

preventing the spread of existing

species,

to maintain and support the part of

native natural species and their

proliferation, as well as the

development of food processing.

Request from the governments of EUSDR countries

to ensure a balanced and continual

participation in EUSDR without impact of

personal and organizational changes in

governments;

Propose to consider

1. possibilities of developing joint touristic

projects for the entire territory of

EUSDR, as it was given in the example of

the project-system proposal “Danube

Pearls”,

2. constitution of the network of nature

parks and other protected areas, for that

as good practice examples could be used

the practices of Kopački Rit (Croatia) and

the Djerdap National Park (Serbia) and

the recently organized network of

DANUBEPARKS project.

Suggest to consider knowledge acquisition and its

availability and utilization in the Danube basin

as vital element for sustainable development. In

the same time with new knowledge and

vocational education of old occupations, old

traditions should be included.




42

PA6. BIODIVERSITY, LANDSCAPES, QUALITY OF AIR AND SOILS II.

Ruse (BG) Joint Declaration to the EUSDR

Produced on the DaNet Conference devoted to the European Union's Danube

Macro-Regional Strategy focusing on the Priority Area No6:

‘To Preserve Biodiversity, Landscapes and the Quality of Air and Soils

’

Ruse (BG) – DaNet Conference, 20 September 2012


countries of the Danube region, who gathered in Ruse, Bulgaria on 20. September 2012 for a conference to


problems and proposals for solving them in the field of preserving biodiversity, landscapes and the quality of air

and soils. They:

Welcome

the support of the Citizenship Programme of the European Union (EACEA) to create and implement the DaNet Conference Programme which in its' framework enables NGOs and CSOs to get broader insight in EUSDR, its' priority areas with opportunity to express their views and discuss problems tackled at this conference,

the “Action to work together for rural and regional development”. This action opened up a discussion about the role of NGOs and other organizations to create and develop the Danube Rural Landscape Cluster,

the Action “to establish a Danube Rural Strategy Forum” promoting the idea of a Danube rural development and landscapes cluster as a pillar of the Action Plan of the strategy;

Declare

the strongest interest of participating organizations in the implementation of EUSDR and in the fulfillment of goals stated in the program of PA6 of the Action Plan that were presented by lectures and discussed using the „Open Space” method –

that participating organizations are devoted and wish to contribute to achieving a

successful implementation of EUSDR in all, and its' priority area concerning the goal of solving them in the field of preserving biodiversity, landscapes and the quality of air and soils,

confirmation of the need to ensure the Danube Basin become a GMO-free macro-regional area in the future, as by existence of the indigenous genetic material with high biological value, which ensures high-quality care to the population and conditions for competitive exports;

Draw attention of the general public and decision-

makers in countries of the Danube macro

region

to the need for creation of DRLC (Danube Rural Landscapes Cluster), for which purpose they wish to prepare working-groups, target-groups and to gather members (NGOs, Natural Parks, Nature 2000, and Environment Protection Agencies etc.) interested in promoting the component elements of DRLC statute,

to the need of forming more comprehensive information flow that following the generalities should be directed towards rural development and landscapes cluster, concrete actions and projects,

to the importance of considering the

43

conservation of biodiversity not only in the Danube River and the Danube Delta, but on entire territory of countries belonging to EUSDR and all other countries interested in this issue, as well;

Request from governments of EUSDR countries to

ensure a balanced and continual participation

in EUSDR without impact of personal and

organizational changes in governments.




44

PA7. KNOWLEDGE SOCIETY

Komarno (SK) Joint Declaration to the EUSDR

Produced on the DaNet Conference devoted to the European Union's Danube

Macro-Regional Strategy focusing on the Priority Area No7 of the EUSDR:

‘To Develop the Knowledge Society through Education, Research and

Information and Communication Technologies’

Komarno (SK) – DaNet Conference, 18. January, 2013

Representatives of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) from countries of the Danube region, who gathered in Komarno, Slovak Republic 18. January, 2013 for a conference to exchange their views about the European Union Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR) in the field of developing the Knowledge Society through Education, Research and Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), hereby declare:

Welcome the support of the Citizenship Programme of the European Union (EACEA) to create and implement the DaNet Conference Programme which in its' framework enables the NGOs and CSOs to get broader insight in EUSDR, its' priority areas with opportunity to express their views and discuss problems tackled at this conference;

Declare the strongest interest of participating organizations in the implementation of EUSDR and in the fulfillment of goals stated in the program of PA7 of the Action Plan that were presented by lectures and discussed using the „Open Space” method

Pointing out that organizations present are devoted and wish to contribute to the achieving of successful implementation of EUSDR in all, and its' priority area concerning the goal to develop knowledge society through education, research, information and communication technologies and particularly to:

1. make efficient provisions in order to reduce the brain-drain phenomenon in the Danube Region countries (except Austria and Germany),

2. enlarge the number and scope of international certified research centers in the Danube Region,

3. ensure carrier possibilities for the newly graduated students at Western-European standard.

Draw attention of the general public and decision-

makers in countries of the Danubemacro region

to the need for

1. Improving communication between educational institutions in the Danube Region,

2. Improving contribution of education in concrete developing strategies,

3. Building values of education in society,

4. Improving mobility in education (training, teaching...) through exchange of professors, students and staff,

5. Pursue joint education projects in the frame of regional and EU strategies (developing curricula, publishing, papers etc.)

Urge for

preparation and gathering researchers for partnerships from the Danube Region countries to apply for support from FP8, The horizons 2020, which partnership refers equally to countries, members and non-members of the European Union,

realization links, partnerships among universities,

fostering activities of civil society organization in dissemination and transfer of research-results and the knowledge to the targeted users, to the target groups,

45

incorporating request of the Danube region countries for support to their projects into operational programs for research and innovation in the Danube Region.

Recommend to

focus in the field ICT on water management and environmental engineering, preservation of biodiversity,

use inter- and multidisciplinary approaches,

ensure availability of European Funds for financing innovations in this field,

construct macro-regional Incubator Centers for successful networking in the field of ICT,

develop innovation and students’ entrepreneurial competencies in the region,

develop new strategy for overcoming conservationism, manifested at various levels of education in schools, and in scientific research institutions,

facilitate rapid intrusion of technical and technological news, innovations, having also included the Eco-innovation, which is to protect and improve environmental quality.




46

PA.8. COMPETITIVNESS I.

Ilok (HR) Joint Declaration to the EUSDR


devoted to the European Union's Danube Macro-Regional Strategy focusing on

the Priority Area No8:

‘To support the competitiveness of enterprises, including cluster development’

Ilok (CR) – DaNet Conference, 24. June 2012


countries of the Danube region, who gathered within the framework of the DaNet Conference Series supported

by the EU Commission in Ilok (Croatia) on 24. June 2012, with special focus on the Priority Area No8 of the

EUSDR formulated their views and suggestions concerning support to the competitiveness of enterprises,

including cluster development

hereby:



NGOs and civil societies to debate and disseminate

relevant information in the framework of the

DaNet Conference Programme;

Declare the utmost interest of participating



the program of the Priority Area 8, too.

Point out that

4. organizations are representing by

conference participants devoted and

wish to contribute to the

achievement of the successful

implementation of EUSDR in all, and

of the program of support the

competitiveness of enterprises,

including cluster development in

particular,

5. the Ilok DaNet conference was a

good ground for people from

different countries and business

fields to (local governments, business

and development organizations,

tourist associations, development

funds and Non Governmental

Organizations, governmental

institutions) gather and discuss

future possibilities of the EU Danube

Strategy,

6. during the conference lectures and

presentations were held in a multi

ethnic, multi-language environment

with the help of translators. On the

occasion of the conference, in a

friendly environment, rich cultural

and gastronomy program

(sightseeing, wine tasting, museum

and vineyard tour, local history

exhibition, castle visit etc.) and nice

atmosphere was given so that

participants exchanged ideas and

information in order to communicate

and cooperate in the future.

Recommend to

6. give more attention to the

importance of cross-cultural and

cross-border cooperation,

7. use all possibilities of tourism and

cultural cooperation

8. keep and develop cultural heritage,

acknowledging positive effect of the

cultural heritage on the local entity,

population and economy,

9. see tourism as an excellent ground

for cooperation and economic

development,

47

10. communicate the wish for future

cooperation especially in those

countries which are connected by

waterways.

11. the implementation the Danube

Pearls project stressing the

importance of the castles as cultural,

educational and tourist centers.

INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZING COMMITTEE OF THE DANET CONFERENCE-SERIES



48

PA.8. COMPETITIVNESS II.

Passau (DE) Joint Declaration to the EUSDR Produced on the DaNet Conference



‘To Support the Competitiveness of Enterprises, Including Cluster Development’

Passau (GE) – DaNet Conference, 26 November 2012


countries of the Danube region, who gathered in Passau, Germany, Bavaria on 26 November 2012 for a

conference to exchange their views about the European Union Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR) in

general and on the problems and proposals for solving them in the field of supporting the competitiveness of

enterprises, and cluster development,

Welcome the support of the Citizenship Programme of the European Union (EACEA) to create and implement the DaNet Conference Programme which in its' framework enables NGOs and CSOs to get broader insight in EUSDR, its' priority areas with opportunity to express their views and discuss problems tackled at this conference;

Declare the strongest interest of participating organizations in the implementation of EUSDR and in fulfillment of goals stated in the program of PA8 of the Action Plan that were presented by lectures and discussed using the „Open Space” method,

Pointing out that participating organizations are devoted and wish to contribute to the achieving of successful implementation of EUSDR in all, and its' priority area concerning the goal for supporting competitiveness of enterprises and cluster development –

7. fostering cooperation and exchange of knowledge between SMEs, academic and the public sector in areas of competence,

8. encouraging cluster development and transnational cluster collaboration including innovation systems and SME networks in order to strengthen economic growth;

Draw attention to the general public and


Danube macro region to the need for

12. facilitating the transfer of creative

knowledge in the Danube Region”, that can be achieved through the construction of new design centers, including craft design, which aim at supporting local or regional industries in all sectors on the development of new products and services,

13. improving business support to strengthen capacities of SMEs for cooperation and trade, and supporting enterprises through high performing training and qualification schemes,

14. fostering competitiveness of rural areas and the agricultural sector by facilitating rural entrepreneurship, supporting innovation and cooperation in the agricultural industry and supporting the diversification of rural economies, including the exploitation of mobility industries, that can be achieved through training and education programs, enhanced cooperation in production, distribution and marketing e.g. through clusters, and through jointly developing and implementing best practices in agricultural product quality;

Urge for

eliminating cross border barriers and bottlenecks to people and business, helping citizens and businesses to make use of their EU rights to move and do business across border. Where appropriate, attention should also be given to physical infrastructure to

49

facilitate free movement of goods and people,

improving framework conditions for SMEs in areas where competitive infrastructure is missing, that could be done through construction of joined or networked industrial and technological parks, as well as transportation, logistics and exhibition

centers. A specific focus should be placed at rural and border regions, where competitive infrastructure for SME is often weakly developed or missing;

Request to governments of EUSDR countries to

ensure a balanced and continual

participation in EUSDR.




50

PA.9. PEOPLE&SKILLS

Linz Joint Declaration to the EUSDR Produced on the DaNet Conference



‘To Invest in People and Skills’

Linz (A) – DaNet Conference, 26. October 2012


countries of the Danube region, who gathered in Linz, Austria on 26. October 2012 for a conference to exchange

their views about the European Union Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR) in general and on the problems

and proposals for solving them in the field of investing in people and skills,

Welcome the support of the Citizenship Programme of the European Union (EACEA) to create and implement the DaNet Conference Programme which in its' framework enables the NGOs and CSOs to get broader insight in EUSDR, its' priority areas with opportunity to express their views and discuss problems tackled at this conference;

Declare the strongest interest of participating organizations in the implementation of EUSDR and in fulfillment of goals stated in the program of PA9 of the Action Plan that were presented by lectures and discussed using the „Open Space” method,

Pointing out that participating organizations

are devoted and wish to contribute to the

achieving of successful implementation of

EUSDR in all, and particularly in its' priority

area concerning the goals stated in the

Priority Area “To Invest in People and

Skills”:

15. contributing to the achievement of EU 2020 targets, in particular with regards to smart and inclusive growth,

16. to contribute in the „Education and Training 2020‟ strategic framework and its strategic objectives,

17. efficiently cooperate among relevant actors through involvement and extension of existing regional co-operation networks and initiatives,

18. fostering creative partnerships at the

interface of education, training and culture,

19. contributing to the improvement of labor markets and social inclusion in the region,

20. promoting higher synergies of education systems at all levels to meet labor market demands,

21. establishing and implementing a small project funding mechanism.

Draw attention to the need for

fostering efficiency, innovation and good governance in education and training through exchange information and experiences of best practices in different education and training systems through transnational cooperation, joint development of programmes and materials, promotion of research in economics of education, peer learning, and capacity building,

increasing innovative capacities of the labor force in the Danube Region by inventing new forms of partnerships and cooperation among key stakeholders (labor market, education and training, research and employers), in which process employers (private and public) should play important role in identifying the knowledge, skills and competences needed,

reorienting towards entrepreneurship and creativity, which constitutes a prime

51

source of innovation, particularly for small and medium size enterprises, towards innovative learning programmes at all levels of education supporting creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship,

making Long Life Learning (LLL) effective with increasing impact on individuals seeking education, by institutional capacity building of LLL bodies in all countries of the Danube Region, which should strongly cooperate in this field, with particular attention to rural areas and to alternative employment opportunities and economic diversification,

developing education and training systems which would enable all individuals to acquire and develop skills and competences required for their employability with equal opportunities in learning for individuals from ethnic minorities and disadvantaged groups,

enhancing efforts to develop knowledge and education on a basis for enhanced cooperation of different policies at all

levels of governance, cross-sectoral policy coordination between relevant government departments, education authorities, social and health-care services, cultural policy authorities, housing and spatial planning authorities as well as asylum and immigration services at local, regional and national level,

creating equal opportunities for women and men on the labor market and in getting equal chance to access education.

Request to governments of EUSDR countries to

ensure a balanced and continual

participation in EUSDR.

Propose, suggest and consider -

- to develop specialized education programs

concerning skills adjusted to specific needs

and opportunities on the entire territory of

EUSDR.




52

PA.11. SECURITY

Ruse Joint Declaration to the EUSDR Produced on the DaNet Conference



‘To work together to promote security and tackle organized and serious crime ’

Ruse (BG) – DaNet Conference, 19 September 2012

Representatives of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) of Hungary,

Romania, Serbia and Bulgaria, who gathered in Ruse, Bulgaria on 19 September 2012 for a conference to

exchange their views about the European Union Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR) hereby declare that

their organizations are interested in and devoted to the implementation of EUSDR and wish to contribute to its

success. Therefore they:

Welcome the support of the European Union

Strategy 2020 which enables NGOs and civil

societies, in the framework of the DaNet

Conference Programme coordinated by EUSDR, to

create an international network, gathering

representatives of member states which are

involved in the Danube Strategy.

Express their agreement with the content of the

Action Plan of EUSDR highlighting that:

“considering the necessity to work

together to tackle security and organized

crime and to address the topic of better

managing migration issues in the Danube

Region, to develop further well-functioning

border-management systems and to

establish standardized operational

procedures for joint activities in case of

trans-boundary technical-technological

water traffic accidents.

Request that only the joint discussion forum of

NGOs and civil society organizations,

which are dealing with and are interested

in the implementation of EUSDR, can be

considered as the competent partner in

the institutional structure of EUSDR

coordination in cooperation with the

Commission of the and Member States

concerned.

Declare their utmost interest in the

implementation of EUSDR and in the

fulfillment of goals stated in the Action

Plan with its program formulated in 11+1

priority areas, this time particularly on the

goals stated in PA11 of the Action Plan;

Pointing out that organizations represented at the

Conference are devoted and wish to

contribute to the successful


priority area concerning the mutual in

promoting security and tackling organized

and serious crime;

Draw attention to the fact that the success of EU's

Danube macro-regional strategy and to

ensure cohesion in the region could not be

achieved without extension of the

Schengen Convention to all countries of

the Danube macro-region.




53

LINKS

The EU Strategy for the Danube Region - http://danube-region.eu/

DaNet Conference Series - http://groupspaces.com/DanubenetforNGO

PA 1A | Mobility | Waterways - http://www.danube-navigation.eu/

PA 1B | Mobility | Rail-Road-Air - http://groupspaces.com/MobilityRail-Road-Air/

PA 02 | Energy - http://groupspaces.com/Energy2/

PA 03 | Culture & Tourism - http://groupspaces.com/CultureTourism/

PA 04 | Water Quality - http://groupspaces.com/WaterQuality/

PA 05 | Environmental Risks - http://groupspaces.com/EnvironmentalRisks/

PA 06 | Biodiversity, landscapes, quality of air and soils -

http://groupspaces.com/BiodiversityLandscapesAirSoil/

PA 07 | Knowledge Society - http://groupspaces.com/KnowledgeSociety/

PA 08 | Competitiveness - http://groupspaces.com/Competitiveness/

PA 09 | People & Skills - http://www.peopleandskills-danuberegion.eu/

PA 10 | Institutional capacity and cooperation - http://www.danube-capacitycooperation.eu/

PA 11 | Security - http://groupspaces.com/Security/

http://danube-region.eu/

http://groupspaces.com/DanubenetforNGO

http://www.danube-navigation.eu/

http://www.danube-navigation.eu/

http://groupspaces.com/MobilityRail-Road-Air/

http://groupspaces.com/Energy2/

http://groupspaces.com/CultureTourism/

http://groupspaces.com/WaterQuality/

http://groupspaces.com/EnvironmentalRisks/

http://groupspaces.com/BiodiversityLandscapesAirSoil/

http://groupspaces.com/KnowledgeSociety/

http://groupspaces.com/Competitiveness/

http://www.peopleandskills-danuberegion.eu/

http://www.danube-capacitycooperation.eu/

http://groupspaces.com/Security/

54

INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZING COMMITTEE

Presidence of the DaNet Conference Series' International Organizing Committee

President:

Mr. István

Szilvássy (HU)

Co-presidents:

Ms. Prof. Dr.

Edita Stoic

Karanovic (SRB)

Mr. Dr. Pál Hajas

(HU)

Members are

NGOs’leaders

from Austria,

Bosnia-

Herzegovina,

Bulgaria, Croatia,

Germany,

Hungary,

Romania, Serbia,

Slovakia,

Slovenia.

Project manager: Nikoletta Czanke-mail: [email protected], [email protected]

55

www.danubenet.eu

The institutional system for representation of stakeholder NGOs and CSOs in EUSDR monitoring

DANUBENET NGOs&CSOs FORUM• with institutional role, but not a registered intsitute by the law

• as the ANNUAL DANUBE CIVIL FORUM OF EUSDR

TRANS-NATIONAL

NETWORKS(represented by 14 countries)

TRANS-NATIONAL NETWORK by PRIOTIES of EUSDR

e.g. TRANS-NATIONAL NETWORK OF WATER

QUALITY

TRANS-NATIONAL NETWORK by DISCIPLINES, PROFESSIONS to EUSDR

NATIONAL NETWORKS

(with county-wide NGOs)

TRANS-REGIONAL

CROSS-BORDER NETWORKS

(name of the country:...)

NATIONAL NETWORK of NGOs

to EUSDR

e.g. HUNGARIAN-SLOVAKIAN NETWORK

(MEMBERS AS e.g. Ister-Granum Territorial

Coorporatiion)

e.g. Austrian-Czech cross-border network

Managed by

1. National Registration Points for NGOs

2. Preparing Work Groups of Networks and the Danube Congress

ISSUED BY ASSOCIATION OF HUNGARIAN SETTLEMENTS’ AND REGIONS’ DEVELOPERS

MAILING ADDRESS: MTTSZ H-1535 BUDAPEST, PF. 811. WEB: http://mttsz.hu

www.danubenet.eu

da net final brosure mttsz

Government & Nonprofit

danube region

danube macroregion

implementation activities

river danube

danube basins

eusdrs implementation

practical implementation

thinktank organizations