In his keynote speech, Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico, the host of the meeting, emphasized: today the River Danube is the symbol of cooperation in Europe, and the EU Strategy for the Danube Region is a concept that enables the participating countries to give joint answers to common questions. The most important lesson is that the Danube does not end at the borders of the European Union. And the thematic fields of the Strategy are connected by regional cooperation, since it is always easier to find answers by the 14 member states together rather than individually.
The same point was made by EU Commissioner Tibor Navracsics who said that the meeting was a great opportunity for the participating countries to find common solutions for their similar problems and give effect to these solutions through joint ventures. He added: through five years the EU Strategy for the Danube Region has made its way from the total fragmentation to the continued cooperation of the participating countries. At the meeting Hungary took over from Slovakia the rotating presidency of the EUSDR, it will hold it between 4 November 2016 and 19 October 2017 and then will pass it on to Bulgaria.
Hungary’s RDI policy priorities were represented at the meeting by József Pálinkás, President of the NRDI Office. We need to exploit regionally available synergies to be more competitive together – he said in a comment. The coordinated EUREKA call is a good example of joint funding initiatives. A similar call could be used in the EU H2020 framework programme as well to enable the Danube region to contribute to the solution of important social-technological challenges by its own consortia and networking. Another good example is the V4 Innovation Task Force which was initiated by Hungary to coordinate national funding agencies and initiatives at a regional level. National smart specialisation strategies can also help to map our strengths at a macro-regional scale and determine our common goals accordingly. Hungary has already developed such a strategy, therefore, it would be happy to share its relevant experiences with countries which are currently working on the same issue – the President of the NRDI Office said at the meeting discussing the EUSDR priority of creating a knowledge-based society.
The four main areas of the 2020 development period of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region
- Connection of the Danube Region with other regions. This requires the development of inland waterways, as well as rail and air transport. It is also necessary to encourage the use of sustainable energy, tourism, and communication between the citizens of the Member States.
- Environmental protection in the Danube region. This includes the improvement and conservation of water quality, the quick, reliable and long-term management of environmental risks, as well as the conservation of landscape, air and soil quality.
- Promoting wellness in the Danube region. This requires investment into human resources and capacities, and the creation of a knowledge-based society through research, education and information technology. The competitiveness of businesses needs to be supported, including by means of the development of regional cooperation.
- Reinforcement of the Danube region. This calls for an extended system of institutions, stronger cooperation and improved security. The participating countries need to cooperate in the combat against serious and organized crime.