Assistant Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Hrvoje Marušic 28 October 2013 in Bucharest attended a foreign ministers meeting as part of the second annual forum of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR). The ministers adopted a joint statement in which they underline that political support and continued efforts, notably in regard to EU funds programming, are still needed in order for the EUSDR to continue showing its added value.
Also, they stressed the need to establish synergy with the existing regional initiatives. Marušic pointed out EUSDR’s facet as an enlargement catalyst, as well as the need to focus more on projects with a strategic effect on the Danube macro-region, such as projects aimed at unifying European transport and energy networks, ensuring energy security, water management and strengthening the competitiveness of small and medium-sized entrepreneurship. Marušic also presented Croatia’s model of coordinating macro-regional strategies and accompanying transnational programmes through the National Committee, as an instrument of linking strategies with the Partnership Agreement and future Operative Programmes while ensuring partnership principle that includes local and regional self-government, business community and civil society.
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