Communication regarding the European Union Strategy for the Danube Region

The Danube Region has changed dramatically. Most recently, there have been the 2004 and 2007 waves of EU enlargement. The world’s most international river basin is now largely a European Union (EU) space. There are new opportunities to address its challenges and potential, especially to reinforce its efforts to overcome the economic crisis in a sustainable manner. Socio-economic development, competitiveness, environmental management and resource efficient growth can be improved, security and transport corridors modernised. The Danube can open the EU to its near neighbours, the Black Sea region, the South Caucasus and Central Asia. An EU Strategy for the Danube Region can contribute to EU objectives, reinforcing major EU policy initiatives, especially the Europe 2020 strategy.The Danube Region is a functional area defined by its river basin. Cooperation bodies such as the Danube Commission and the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River address specific issues. The Strategy widens this approach to tackle priorities in an integrated way. Geographically it concerns primarily but not exclusively: Germany (Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria), Austria, the Slovak Republic, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovenia, Romania and Bulgaria within the EU, and Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine (the regions along the Danube) outside. The Strategy remains open to other partners in the Region. Since the Danube flows into the Black Sea, it should be coherent with Black Sea perspectives. With over 100 million people, and a fifth of EU surface, the area is vital for Europe.