State Secretary Andrej Plenković participated in Third Danube Conference “The Future of the Danube Area” held at Baden-Württenberg Representation to the EU

The Conference, held in cooperation with the Danube Network in Brussels, also saw presentations by Baden-Württenberg Minister of State for Federal, European and International Affairs Wolfgang Reinhart

The Conference, held in cooperation with the Danube Network in Brussels, also saw presentations by Baden-Württenberg Minister of State for Federal, European and International Affairs Wolfgang Reinhart, the European Parliament’s Regional Policy Chairperson Danuta Hübner, Serbian Vice-Prime Minister for European Integration and National Coordinator for the Danube Strategy Božidar Đelić, and Bulgarian Minister of Regional Development and Public Works Rosen Plevneliev.

Talking about Croatia’s participation in various Danube initiatives, State Secretary Plenković pointed out the role of Baden-Württenberg in including Croatia into the Danube Network. In light of Croatia’s pending EU membership, he emphasized the importance of the European cohesion policy and the territorial cooperation program in promoting the very idea of European integration among the EU membership aspirants.

In that regard, State Secretary Plenković pointed out the significance of the Danube Strategy for the development of Croatia’s Danube region, which had suffered extensive destruction during the war, primarily in regard to the environmental protection and flood prevention, economic cooperation, the development of small and middle-sized entrepreneurship, better energy connectedness, cultural cooperation, tourist promotion, and the strengthening of the civil sector.

The European Commission will present the Danube Strategy in December 2010, together with the Action Plan governing its implementation, whose adoption is expected in June 2011 during Hungary’s EU presidency.

State Secretary Plenković said that the mine-contaminated areas of Croatia’s Danube region presented a challenge not only for the Osječko-baranjska and Vukovarsko-srijemska counties and Croatia itself, but for the wider Danube Region as well, if prosperity of the Danube basin as a whole was to be achieved.

Press releases