Annexes to COM(2010)715 - EU Strategy for Danube Region - Main contents
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This page contains a limited version of this dossier in the EU Monitor.
| dossier | COM(2010)715 - EU Strategy for Danube Region. |
|---|---|
| document | COM(2010)715  |
| date | December 8, 2010 |
Enterprises
Top-performing regions in Europe can be found in the area. Others lag a long way behind. They need to benefit, through better connections between innovation and business supporting institutions. Clusters and links between centres of excellence, binding them into existing education and research networks, will extend the competitiveness of upstream enterprises to the whole region.
Employment market
Higher levels of employment are crucial. People need opportunities close to where they live. They also need mobility. The Region needs to offer a future to the brightest and most enterprising, through stronger cooperation regarding policies, measures and information exchange.
Marginalised communities
One third of EU's population at risk of poverty, many from marginalised groups, live in the area. Roma communities, 80% of whom live in the Region, suffer especially from social and economic exclusion, spatial segregation and sub-standard living conditions. Efforts to escape these have EU-wide effects, but the causes must be addressed first in the Region.
Targets as examples could be:
- To invest 3% of GDP in Research and Development by 2020;
- Broadband access for all EU citizens in the Region by 2013;
- Increase the number of patents obtained in the Region by 50%;
- Increase the share of the EU population aged 30-34 with tertiary or equivalent education to 40% by 2020.
3.4. Strengthening the Danube Region
The dramatic changes since 1989 transformed society. Particular attention is needed, since the Danube Region includes Member States, which have joined at different moments, as well as countries applying for EU membership, and other third countries. Most face similar problems, but with different resources available. Effective responses to the common challenges of security and the fight against serious and organised crime require coordination at all levels. Exchange of good administrative practice is important to make the Region safer and more secure, and to reinforce its integration into the EU.
Main issues
Institutional capacity and cooperation
Structures and capacity for private and public sector decision-making need to improve, including good planning and international cooperation, and supported by the macro-regional approach. The optimal use of resources is essential.
Security
Corruption, organised and serious crime is of increasing concern. Issues such as smuggling of goods, trafficking in human beings, and cross border black markets require strengthening the rule of law, both within and across jurisdictions. Intelligence must be better shared, effective joint actions mounted.
Targets as examples could be:
- Establishing benchmarks for e-government and reducing excessive bureaucracy by 2012;
- Maximum 4 weeks for business start-up permissions by 2015;
- Efficient exchange of information between relevant law enforcement actors by 2015 with the aim of improving security and tackling serious and organised crime in the 14 countries;
- Effective co-operation between relevant law enforcement actors by 2015.
4. IMPLEMENTATION AND GOVERNANCE
To address these issues, we need a good base to work together.
- A sustainable framework for cooperation
The Strategy seeks to make best use of what is available, by aligning efforts, specifically policies and funding. Actions are complementary. All stakeholders must take responsibility. In this respect, the Declaration of the Bucharest Summit on Danube[4] is an important commitment. The Commission can help by facilitating and supporting action, but the commitment and practical involvement of all authorities, at national, regional and other levels is needed. Working together with international and cross-border organisations across the Region will encourage synergies and avoid duplication. A reinforced territorial dimension will provide an integrated approach, and encourage better coordination of sectoral policies. There must be an absolute focus on results.
- Coordination
Several measures are needed.
Policy-level coordination will be the responsibility of the Commission, assisted by a High Level Group of all Member States. Non Member States should be invited to the Group as appropriate.
The Commission would consult the Group on modifications to Strategy and Action Plan, reports and on monitoring. The Group addresses policy orientation and prioritisation.
The coordination of each Priority Area is the task of Member States (together with non Member States or regions, except for topics which the EU addresses at State level, such as security, serious and organised crime), in consultation with the Commission, and relevant EU agencies and regional bodies. ‘Priority Area Coordinators’, who can demonstrate Danube-wide commitment, acceptance and expertise, ensure implementation (e.g. by agreeing on planning, with targets, indicators and timetables, and by ensuring wide contacts between project promoters, programmes and funding sources, providing technical assistance and advice). This work will be trans-national, inter-sectoral and inter-institutional.
The facilitation role of the Commission is assisted by National Contact Points. These ensure co-ordination in each country, identify the relevant contacts, and above all advance practical aspects of the work.
- Implementation
Implementation of actions is the responsibility of all, at country, regional, urban and local level. Actions (which state the objective to be reached) must be transformed into concrete projects (which are detailed and require a project leader, a timeframe and financing). These should, while respecting the autonomy of programme decision-making, be actively facilitated in submitting proposals.
- Funding
The Strategy is implemented by mobilising and aligning existing funding to its objectives, where appropriate and in line with overall frameworks. Indeed, much is already available via numerous EU programmes (e.g. EUR 100 billion from Structural Funds 2007-2013, as well as significant IPA and ENPI funds). Project selection procedures could be reviewed to support the agreed aims. There are also other means, such as the Western Balkan Investment Framework as well as the international financing institutions (e.g. EIB: EUR 30 billion 2007-2009, with its support to navigability and depollution). Attention should be given to combining grants and loans. There are national, regional and local resources. Indeed, accessing and combining funding, especially from public and private sources below the EU-level, is crucial.
- Reporting and evaluation
Reporting and evaluation is done by the Commission, in partnership with the Priority Area Coordinators and other stakeholders. Coordinators will identify progress related to the improvements that actions and projects will deliver and to achievement of targets, as well as provide information regularly on their work. Based on this, the Commission drafts reports, indicating progress of the Action Plan.
The Commission also organises an Annual Forum, to discuss the work, to consult on revised actions, and to develop new approaches. Countries, the EU institutions, and the stakeholders (especially inter-governmental bodies, the private sector and civil society) participate.
- No new EU funds, no new EU legislation, no new EU Structures
The Commission prepares the Strategy on the understanding this implies no special treatment, in budget or legal terms, for the Region. Specifically:
18. The Strategy provides no new EU funds. There could be additional international, national, regional or private funds, although better use of existing funds is emphasised;
19. The Strategy requires no changes to EU legislation, since the EU legislates for the EU27 and not for a macro-region alone. If agreed, there could be changes at national or other levels, to address specific objectives;
20. The Strategy creates no additional structures. The implementation is through existing bodies, whose complementarity must be maximised. No overall impact is envisaged on Commission resources.
5. LINKS WITH EU POLICIES
To reinforce the integration of the whole Region, the Strategy aims to strengthen EU policies and legislation implementation in the area. It provides political support to current initiatives and raises their visibility. In particular, some actions decided in the framework of existing bodies are part of the Action Plan. In addition,
- Europe 2020 is the key EU commitment to jobs and smart, sustainable, inclusive growth, which the Strategy will consolidate. It has five headline targets. These are: promoting employment; improving the conditions for innovation, research and development; meeting climate change and energy objectives; improving education levels; and promoting social inclusion in particular through the reduction of poverty, and addressing the challenges of ageing. The Strategy, with its vision for the Danube Region in 2020, reinforces this. It supports sustainable growth, aiming to reduce energy consumption, increase the use of renewable energies, modernise the transport sector by making it more environmentally friendly and more efficient, and to promote ‘green’ tourism. It helps remove internal market bottlenecks and improves the business environment.
- Consistency with EU legislation and policies is at the core of the Strategy. It addresses implementation gaps, and practical or organisational difficulties leading to lack of results. It supports better implementation of EU legal obligations, especially in relation to the Single Market and the environment. It also contributes to policies such as transport (TEN-T currently under revision, as well as the future transport policy for countries), energy (TEN-E) networks, the strategy for the Single Market (Single Market Act) and the Digital Agenda. The EU post-2010 biodiversity target and strategy, with its 2050 vision and a 2020 target, is also reinforced. As the gateway to neighbours in Europe and onwards to Asia, the Region is crucial in supporting other EU external policies, in line with the European Neighbourhood Policy and its regional initiatives (e.g. the Eastern Partnership).
6. CONCLUSION
The Strategy provides a sustainable framework for policy integration and coherent development of the Danube Region. It sets out priority actions to make it an EU region for the 21st century. It must be accompanied by sufficient information and publicity to ensure its objectives are widely known.
The Commission therefore invites the Council to examine and endorse this Communication and the related Action Plan.
[1] The European Council formally asked the European Commission to coordinate an EU Strategy for the Danube Region, stating in its conclusions of 19 June 2009: “It (…) invites the Commission to present an EU strategy for the Danube region before the end of 2010”.
[2] The international classification of European Inland Waterways (UNECE/TRANS/120/Rev.4, p. 28/29) in the European Agreement on Main Inland Waterways of International Importance (AGN) classifies the parameters for motor vessels and pushed convoys. In the present text, category VIb uniquely refers to pushed convoys and inland waterways vessels with a draught of up to 2.5m.
[3] Environment Council Conclusions (15 March 2010) : “To halt the loss of biodiversity and the degradation of ecosystem services in the EU by 2020, restore them in so far as feasible, while stepping up the EU contribution to averting global biodiversity loss”.
[4] Bucharest, 8 November 2010.