"Conference on EU Strategy for the Danube Region"

Constanta and Tulcea 9-11 June 2010

This Conference marks the end of a series of events dedicated to the EU Strategy for the Danube Region, that have started in February 2010, in Ulm (Germany)with the occasion of launching the public consultation.

This event has as objective the discussion on the possible actions which could be presented in the Action Plan developed by the European Commission (DG REGIO). This Action Plan will be prepared after analyses and debates on the contributions received by countries of the Danube Region and stakeholders.

High level representatives from the countries of the Danube Basin are invited to make presentations in the opening plenary sessions.

Organisers: The European Commission jointly with the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Regional Development and Tourism.

Agenda

9 June 2010

12.00 – 15.00 Accommodation (Location: Hotel Iaki/ Hotel Vega/Hotel Riviera/Hotel Majestic – Mamaia, Constanţa);

15.00 – 16.30 Registration of delegations

17.00 – 18.45 Official opening of the Conference (Hotel Iaki, Delta Room)

Moderator: Viorel Ardeleanu , National Coordinator of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region, Ministry of Foreign Affairs,

Welcoming speeches: , Minister of Foreign Affaires, Romania Elena Udrea , Minister for Regional Development and Tourism, Romania Speakers : Johannes Hahn , Commissioner for Regional Policy Rosen Plevneliev , Minister of Regional Development and Public Works, Bulgaria Zsolt Nemeth , State Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Hungary

Andreja Jerina , State Secretary, Government Office for Development and European Affairs, Slovenia Laszlo Borbely , Minister of Environment and Forests, Romania Rapporteur : Margarita Grantcharska , DG Regional Policy, European Commission

1 18.45 -19.00 Launch of the new philatelic issue "Protected Danubian Fauna" (Hotel Iaki, Delta Room)

19.00 – 19.30 Press Conference 19.30 – 19.50 Delegations departure for the National Theater “Oleg Danovski”, Constanţa 20.00 - 21.15 Gala Concert (Location: National Theater “Oleg Danovski”, Constanţa) 21.15 – 21.30 Delegations departure for Hotel Iaki 21.30 – 23.00 Welcome cocktail offered by the Romanian Minister of Foreign Affaires (Hotel Iaki)

10 June 2010

9.00 – 11.00 Plenary session – debates on the governance and funding mechanisms for the implementation of EU Strategy for the Danube Region (Hotel Iaki, Delta Room)

Moderator: Jose Palma Andres, Director, DG Regional Policy, European Commission Discussions will focus on: the added value brought by the Danube Strategy for enhancing the cooperation in the region; the strategic projects identified and included in the Action Plan and the next steps needed for implementing them. Proposals will be made for the implementation and monitoring mechanisms of the Strategy, as well as leadership action in priority fields of the Strategy like water management, ecosystems monitoring, inter-mode transportation, navigation, energy security, tourism, rural development, research and innovation, etc.

Speakers: Elena Udrea , Minister of Regional Development and Tourism, Romania Erhard Busek , President of the Institute for the Danube Region and Central Europe Bozidar Djelic, Deputy Prime Minister, Serbia Karla Peijs , European Coordinator for Inland Waterways Transport Konstantin Pivonarov, Deputy Minister of Regional Development, Ukraine Adriana Ţicău , Member of the European Parliament, Romania Rudolf Schicker , Executive City Counsellor for Regional Planning, Traffic and Transport, City of Vienna, Austria Rapporteur: Johann Sollgruber, DG Regional Policy, European Commission

11.00 -11.30 Coffee break

2 11.30-13.00 3 thematic working groups

Working groups will be opened to participation by all registered participants. Each group will have one moderator and one rapporteur, from the participating states and from the European Commission.

Working Group topics:

1. Improve connectivity and communications systems (Hotel Iaki, Vienna Room)

Moderator: Cesare Bernabei , DG Mobility and Transport, European Commission

Speakers: Olivier Baudelet , DG Regional Policy, European Commission

Panelists: Iuliu Bara , Ministry of Regional Development and Tourism, Romania

Michael Theurer , Member of the European Parliament, Germany

Sergiy Moroz , Fresh water policy officer, World Wide Fund

Markus Simoner , Senior Expert, Via Donau, Austria

Milena Messori , Director of the European Investment Bank Office in Bucharest

Rapporteur: Irina Cruceru , DG Regional Policy, European Commission

2. Environment, water and risk management (Hotel Iaki, Delta Room)

Moderator: George Kremlis, DG Environment, European Commission

Speakers: Nathalie Verschelde , DG Regional Policy, European Commission

Panelists: Dragos Ciuparu , Vice-president of the National Research Agency, Romania

Phillip Weller , International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River

Otto Schwetz , Chairman of the of the Pan-European Transport Corridor VII, Austria

Željko Ozegovic , City counsellor, City of Belgrade, Republic of Serbia

Guy Alaerts , World Bank

Raporteur: Simona Pohlova , DG Regional Policy, European Commission

3 3. Socio-economic, human and institutional development (Hotel Iaki, Coriolis Room)

Moderator: Colin Wolfe , DG Regional Policy, European Commission

Speakers: Eva Nussmueller , DG Regional Policy, European Commission

Panelists: Igor Mally , National Contact Point for the EUSDR, Government Office for Development and European Affairs, Slovenia

Kurt Puchinger , Director of Planning, City of Vienna, Austria

Petru Constantin Luhan , Member of the European Parliament, Romania

Irene Freudenschuss – Reichl , Director General, Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs, Austria Raporteur: Johann Sollgruber , DG Regional Policy, European Commission

13.00-14.30 Networking lunch (Hotel Iaki)

14.30-15.30 3 thematic working groups (continuation)

15.30-16.00 Coffee break

16.00-17.30 Business sector round table (Hotel Iaki, Delta Room)

Moderator: Jose Palma Andres , Director, DG Regional Policy, European Commission

The objective of this session is to discuss the possible involvement of the private sector in the implementation of the Strategy (private sector in the context of the Strategy – financing, technical assistance, major investments and consultancy issues). Panelists : Bruno Daniel Roche , Member of the Administration Board, Apa Nova Gerhard Skoff , President of the Danube Tourism Commission Corina Vulpes , Director, Exim Bank, Romania Ionel Chera , International Consultant, European Evaluation Society, Romania Georg Krauchenberg - AWO-Südosteuropa, Austria Emeric Bartha , President of the World Trade Center Institute in Bucharest

Rapporteur: Eva Nussmueller , DG Regional Policy, European Commission

17.30 - 18.00 Conclusions of the 3 thematic working groups (Hotel Iaki, Delta Room)

20.00 – 22.00 Romanian traditional evening (traditional dinner and performance; Hotel Iaki)

4 11 June 2010

08.30-9.30 Closing session of the Conference (Hotel Iaki, Delta Room)

Moderator: Bogdan Mazuri, State Secretary for European Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Romania Speakers: , Presidential advisor on EU affairs Mitja Bricelj , President of the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River, Slovenia Pia Bucella , Director, DG Environment, European Commission Marin Anton , State Secretary, Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, Romania Jose Palma Andres , Director, DG Regional Policy, European Commission Rapporteur : Margarita Grantcharska , DG Regional Policy, European Commission

10.00 – 19.30 Visit to the Danube Delta; departure scheduled from Hotel Iaki (includes the trip from Mamaia to Tulcea, the departure point for Danube trips, visit of the Danube Delta and, working lunch) During the visit to the Danube Delta, a Partner Search Forum will be organised on one of the vessels

20.00 Departure to Constanta or Bucharest 22.00 Arrival to Constanta (for the ones which opted for a return to Constanta) 23.30 Arrival to Bucharest (for the ones which opted for a return to Bucharest)

5