Integrated Territorial Instrument of the Danube Delta – an assessment of its implementation, performance orientation and governance during 2016-2021 - Executive Summary

The Integrated Territorial Instrument for the Danube Delta was established by EU Cohesion Policy in Romania during the programming period 2014-2020 in order to enable the strategic and financial support for integrated development of the area. Its actual implementation is guided by the Integrated Strategy for the Development of the Danube Delta (ISDDD) adopted in 2016, which constitutes a blueprint for the economic, social and environmental development of the Delta. The strategy was developed through a systematic technical analysis and a participatory process conducted by the World Bank and financed by the EU Structural Funds (ESI Funds) over the period 2013-2016.The strategy ISDDD establishes a vision and strategic objectives for the development of the Danube Delta region for a period of 15 years, until 2030. The vision for the area is defined based on the development needs of two different sub-areas:

1)the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve Area – viewed as living area wherepeople work and live with balanced support for the environment and the community, a healthy, sustainable economy (mainly based on culture and tourism), and an inclusive planning process for residents, local authorities and businesses; and

2)the Neighbouring Area of the Danube Delta – viewed as a vibrant, modernagricultural and small enterprise area with a network of urban service centres and a tourism sector integrated with the attractions of the Delta.

The two strategic objectives included in ISDDD aim at:

1) conserving the unique environmental and natural resource assets through scientifically-guided environmental management, and through empowerment of local communities as proactive guardians of the unique global heritage of the Delta; and

2) developing a sustainable, green local economy capitalising on the area’s comparative advantage and supported by improved services.The action plan of the strategy ISDDD for the programming period 2014-2020 establishes operational objectives which identify more than 160 initial projects and types of interventions (called ITI projects) planned to be launched during the programming period 2014-2020. These projects are grouped in 5 investment pillars (Environment, Economy, Connectivity, Public Services and Administrative Capacity) and they are characterised by their level of priority (high, medium, low, or no priority). The investment domains considered include, for example, protecting biodiversity, developing the local economy, improving connectivity, modernising the public services for education, health, social inclusion, water and waste management, and improving local administrative capacity and governance.