| | EU funding till 2014
Looking ahead
The region of Donau-Iller and the Danube Office in Ulm stand up for the interests of the Danube region. It has to make itself heard in Brussels in order to be paid attention to by the European Commission. That is what the public hearing on the Green Paper, a first discussion paper on the next EU support period, served to. Here is in force the principle: Who does not yell in time is not heard.
During the support period as from 2014, the territorial aspect should become more important in EU politics. In the Green Paper on territorial cohesion, regions are expected to define their strengths and to submit their own development strategies. Incentives for European projects are made available to realise these aims. Sabine Meigel, co-ordinator for European affairs in the region of Donau-Iller, knows that you have to be heard in Brussels early in order to be paid attention to with your interests. “We are just at the beginning of the development and can still influence it“, Meigel says.
By several activities, e.g. the Danube festivities, the Danube conference and the Danube academy, a network of co-operation has come into being. Now, the question is how to give the Danube region a firm organisational structure and establish it as another region of co-operation on the European level. “It has to be embed in the European awareness and to be integrated into the concrete work of the EU in addition to the Mediterranean Sea. Thus, a further development of the existing competences can be supported“, Meigel says.
Incentives for co-operation in the Danube region
Peter Langer, head of the Danube office, comfirms that the Danube region functions as a connecting link between Western and Southeastern Europe uniting old and new democracies as well as market economies, habitats and cultural regions. It is a symbol of successful overcoming the internal and external European borders and dynamic economic development. By supporting projects in the Danube region, a great European added value can be created when the variety and dynamics of existing co-operations are brought forward. Therefore, the region and the Danube office claim for superseding the existing partition of the Danube neighbouring countries in several regions by one Danube region of co-operation in the new Europe of cities and region during the next support period as from 2014. Incentives should be made available for this region. “Who wants to spend incentices efficiently needs a co-ordinator in order to develop projects across administrative borders“, Meigel emphasises her request. This task could be taken over by the Council of Danube cities and regions to be founded in Budapest in June.
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