EU DANUBE STRATEGYOn the way to „implementation“ ?!

Roland Arbter, Federal ChancelleryVienna, 5 July 2011, ÖGB/PERC meetingroland.arbter@bka.gv.at

EU Danube Strategy| 5.7.2011 Vienna 2 |

EU Danube strategy process moves …. – EU-27! -> EC/GAC, EP, CoR, …– High political momentum! -> 4 „Danube

Summits“ 2009-2011 – Active participation of Stakeholders

(conferences, consultations, etc.)– Mobilisation on national level

– Media !

– ER (24.6.2011): „… endorsed the EU Strategy for the Danube Region and called on all relevant actors to implement it without delay, as outlined in the Council`s conclusions of 13 April 2011 …

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A new „EU macro-region“ ?

EU Danube Strategy| 5.7.2011 Vienna

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Variable functional geographies !

Danube Region ?

Complexity trap?

EUSDR- Priority Areas … some targets (examples)

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(A) Connecting the Danube Region 1. To improve mobility and multimodality: (1a) Inland waterways (1b) Road, rail and air links

“Increase cargo +20% until 2020”“Improved travel times between major cities”“Multimodal Danube river port terminals …” …

2. To encourage more sustainable energy “… EU2020 climate and energy targets …”3. To promote culture and tourism …..(B) Protecting the Environment in the Danube Region 4. To restore and maintain the quality of waters …..5. To manage environmental risks6. To preserve biodiversity, landscape, air, soils (C) Building Prosperity in the Danube Region 7. To develop knowledge society „3% GDP in R&D by 2030“8. To support competitiveness „Patents +50%“9. To invest in people and skills „Tertiary education +40% for aged 30-34 “ ….(D) Strengthening the Danube Region 10. To step up institutional capacity& cooperation “Benchmarks for reducing bureaucracy ..”

11. To work together to promote security “4 weeks for business start-up permissions” …

Example: Priority Area 10 - Actions

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To step up institutional capacity and cooperation -> Actions: To combat institutional capacity and public service related problems To improve the trust of citizens and stakeholders in political authorities To establish a Danube Civil Society Forum To ensure sufficient information flows and exchange at all levels To facilitate the administrative cooperation of communities living in border

regions To build Metropolitan Regions in the Danube Region To reviews bottlenecks relating to low absorption rate of EU-funds and to

ensure better coordination of funding To support the development of local financial products for business and

community development To examine the feasibility of a Danube Investment Framework

Example: Priority Area 10 - Projects

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-> Examples (!) of projects in the Action plan:

…. Public finance management knowledge network Acta Danubia – international harmonisation of scientific studies of the

Danube Danube cooperation maps Guidelines for spatial planning Urban technologies cooperation Danube Environmental Forum ….

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Multiple objectives of Macroregional EU Strategies MRS = New concept! -> „partly still to be invented!“ … „mulitiple roots“ (Nordregio, 2008):

– External relations– Development policies….. „MRS aim beyond EU-Cohesion Policy!“

… contribution to several EU-aims? – EU2020! – 3 dimensions of sustainability – Territorial cohesion ….

Subsidiarity! Contexts matters! Time matters!

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EUSDR aspects … starting points for Implementation

1. „A strategy is a pattern in a stream of decisions“ (H. Mintzberg)

4. New role for the EC … also during implementation?

2. EUSDR is no programme!

8. 2011-2012! -> „quick wins … low hanging fruits … early harvest“

3. „No strategy without an action plan!“ (EC)

5. New Priority area coordinators + multiplying governance system + national coordination + regional/local level + NGOs

6. EUSDR project notion? 7. No new funding!? …

9. 2013/2014+?