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The states in the Danube region have 100 billion euro for development
The Danube strategy which aims at using the financing of 100 billion euros allocated in the cohesion policy, addresses a region with 14 states, , with a population of 115 million inhabitants, stated on Friday the representatives of the European Commission, in a press conference dedicated to the presentation of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region.
The Danube Region, which is made up of eight states ( Germany, Austria, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Bulgaria and Romania) and six countries outside the EU (
Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia – Herzegovina, Montenegro, Ukraine and Moldova).
The volume of goods transported on the Danube as a result of applying the European Strategy for the Danube Region should increase by 2020 by 20%, the programme manager from the European Commission from the DG for Regional Policies, Irina Cruceru.
Among the projects presented in the action plan of the Strategy is the finalisation of the EU priority projects in the domain of transport, for example the railway which links Paris to Budapest through Stuttgart, Ulm, Munchen, Vienne and Bratislava. The Danube Strategy is the development of railway between the big cities in the region.
Another objective is the protection of biological diversity in the region, which is associated with the reduction of flooding risk through the elaboration of risk maps. The “ Blue Danube” project includes the cleaning of urban waste waters in order to reduce the flow of pharma residues in the Danube.
The strategt is not one of EC, but of the member states, Irina Cruceru said, who said that in order to improve the navigation on the Danube it is necessary to develop interior harbours, intensify transport in containers and stimulate the use of renewable energy such as hydro and geothermal.
SMEs are not forgotten, the EU wishing to reduce to necessary time to set up a SME to 3-4 weeks in all states in the region, and within the SMEs to have processes of eco-efficient production. In the action plan of the Strategy there is also the modernisation of the river naval fleet.
Through the strategy, the inhabitants in the Danube region will benefit from rail transport and road transport of better quality, the promtion of research and development, energy at small prices and out of sources of supply more sure, development of regional tourism and increased prosperity, the region becoming more sure and better administered.
The EU anticipates that the number of patents of investions will increase by 50% in the Danube Region and the increase of population access of 30-34 year old to education will increase to 40% by 2020.
Romania expressed the possibility to coordinate, together with Bulgaria, the project being the development of tourism and culture in the Danube Region, the Bulgarian partners answering to the proposal with interest. At the same time, Romania proposed the setting up of an institute for the protection of the Delta area.