Danube Strategy Flagships are projects or processes that contribute to the implementation of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR), have a clear macro-regional dimension and a multi-level governance approach. They are of high importance for the Danube Region’s economic, social and territorial cohesion and for improving the quality of life in the Danube Region.
Danube Strategy Flagships strengthen internal and external communication of the Strategy and the visibility of the topics, initiatives and prospects in the Danube Region. They illustrate the progress achieved in implementing the EUSDR and demonstrate exemplarily significant improvement in the Region that is induced by cooperation.
EUSDR National Coordinators and Priority Area Coordinators with the respective Steering Groups, in their capacity as representatives and key implementers of the EUSDR, as well as the Danube Strategy Point, are committed to contribute to and promote Danube Strategy Flagships in accordance with the Guidance Paper for identifying and listing Danube Strategy Flagships.
List of Danube Strategy Flagships 2024
Project, ongoing
EUSDR Priority Area(s): PA 1a Waterways Mobility
COMEX² succeeds the international RIS COMEX project (2016-2022) and the CoRISMa project (2013-2015) and, with 20 partners from 13 countries and three cooperation partners from Switzerland, Serbia, and Ukraine, will take up the baton for the harmonised implementation and optimisation of River Information Services (RIS) in Europe over the coming years. With a focus on the future-oriented further development of the transnational portals (EuRIS and CEERIS) as well as national systems and services, COMEX² also includes improving the resilience of the systems and services. Within the CEERIS portal, administrative processes are digitalised such as the reporting via the DAVID forms in the context of border control procedures.
Project; ongoing
EUSDR Priority Area(s): PA 1b Rail-Road-Air Mobility
Activities within X4ITS are broadly described in four categories covering information management from collection of data in Central and Eastern Europe to the provision of information services for end-users:
- Measures to improve detection of incidents/conditions/status etc. on the corridor (through road side and mobile devices)
- Measures to manage collected data and making it available for neighbouring countries and management measures
- Measures to improve provision of services to end-users
- Measures to implement/upgrade National Access Points as foreseen in the Delegation Regulation
Process; ongoing
EUSDR Priority Area(s): PA 1b Rail-Road-Air Mobility
The development of an interconnected and integrated transport system in the Danube Region is a challenge of macro-regional relevance and consistent with national priorities as well as with the EU objectives of a more connected, greener and low-carbon Europe. It aims at strengthening transport infrastructure networks relations by identifying multimodal corridors alongside the TEN-T network, including connections between the EU and non-EU member states. In addition, the network shall improve connections between the Northern Adriatic and Black Sea and intermodal connections with the river and seaports of the macro-region.
Stakeholder conference, network, platform; ongoing
EUSDR Priority Area(s): PA 1b Rail-Road-Air Mobility
Since 2012, EUSDR PA 1b assembles its valued stakeholders e.g. from the European Commission, academia, financing institutions, business representatives and interested general public to collect input across the diverse participants, advance standards of best practice and enable networking.
The purpose of the annual Stakeholders’ Conference is to identify guiding principles for selected topics in transport, ascertain the current performance in these areas, and determine how the implementation of EUSDR PA 1b towards its mission can be further improved.
With this information, PA 1b can make effective decisions on its implementation plan. The conference outcomes also provide valuable input for the participants who are able to learn what are the most needed research and project activities for enhanced mobility and multimodality in the Danube Region.
Project, process, network; ongoing
EUSDR Priority Area(s): PA 2 Sustainable Energy
The Russian gas import in many EUSDR countries lays well above 60%, which makes this part of Europe even more exposed than the EU average. The ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine and the resulting energy crisis raise the security of supply concerns as never before. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to assess how to reduce gas import dependence in the Danube Region, how to diversify the energy supply of the Region’s countries, accelerate the use of untapped renewable and other alternative energy sources.
Project, process, network; ongoing
EUSDR Priority Area(s): PA 2 Sustainable Energy
The Danube Strategy Flagship will coordinate actions to foster the development of hydrogen economies in the EUSDR countries at a macro-regional level, building on synergies of the national actions and the favourable natural/geographical conditions of the EUSDR (e.g., areas of excellent potentials for green hydrogen production from renewables, tremendous transport facilities: either natural, such as the Danube River, or artificial such as the extended gas infrastructures, etc.). It will analyse the entire hydrogen value-chain (production, transport/storage, end-uses) at a macro-regional level in a comprehensive way in order to make policy recommendations on how to adjust the different strengths/opportunities (e.g. production and transport capacities) and visions (e.g. various end-use development scenarios) at national levels into a transnational context, thus facilitating the development of a fully operational macro-regional hydrogen economy.
The Danube Strategy Flagship will also foster project generation (including IPCEI projects) in the hydrogen topic, and label selected successful projects as flagships (e.g. HyEfre, Danube Indeet projects).
Project, process, network; ongoing
EUSDR Priority Area(s): PA 2 Sustainable Energy
The collective and citizen-driven energy actions are key elements of the energy transition, however less widespread in the Danube Region, especially in its eastern part. The Danube Strategy Flagship covers activities that address various technical and socioeconomic aspects of creating appropriate conditions for renewable energy communities in the Danube Region. A special emphasis is put on renewable electricity generation as a cornerstone of energy communities, as well as issues of related infrastructure (grid expansion, grid balancing, and associated energy storage solutions), but also deals with awareness raising on the benefits of such initiatives.
The Danube Strategy Flagship will enable the spread of comprehensive systems, such as e.g. the “European Energy Award” that facilitate the daily operation work of local authorities in their municipal energy planning, but also methods from other initiatives and related projects that support the setup of new and the expansion of existing energy communities in a broader sense, to assist municipalities to elaborate their Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plans (SECAP-s), enforce them joining the Covenant of Mayors, harmonise local policies to national and EU strategies, facilitate capacity building and benchmarking, etc.
Process, ongoing
EUSDR Priority Area(s): PA 3 Culture & Tourism
Creativity, innovation and collaboration are the three key focuses of this grant. Proposals that are rather “business as usual” or already running projects/programmes are not a priority. We are especially looking for project proposals that initiate suppletory or experimental cultural actions. Innovation can be related to the theme of the project, the genre or the type of collaboration/co-creation represented by the action. The quality of collaboration will be an important part of the evaluation.
We do not have any preference for a specific artistic field or discipline within cultural work or the creative industries. We understand ‘culture’ as a very wide field covering work far beyond the classical arts and culture domain.
This first DSPF call has no further thematic requirements, restrictions or specifications.
Project, process, network, platform; in preparation
EUSDR Priority Area(s): PA 3 Culture & Tourism
The main output of the project will be the establishment of the Danube Tourism Laboratories (DaTuLabs). Activities of the Labs will include but not be limited to:
- the development of an online stakeholder’s cooperation platform (Sustainable Tourism Resource Centre),
- drafting of the Transnational Danube Tourism Roadmap as support to the long-term destination development,
- use of the participatory tools for planning,
- co-designing tourism initiatives and
- fostering eco-friendly smart tourism initiatives.
The project will identify and engage a wide range of stakeholders, including tourism policymakers, tourism boards, academia, businesses, local communities, and visitors. By providing stakeholders with the necessary tools, knowledge, and resources, the project aims to empower them to make informed decisions and take collaborative action towards sustainable tourism development. By combining cutting-edge technologies, participatory approaches, and cross-border cooperation, the project aims to unlock the socioeconomic potential of the Danube Region while preserving its natural and cultural heritage for future generations.
Project, process, network, platform; in preparation
EUSDR Priority Area(s): PA 3 Culture & Tourism
NEBoD is a think-and-do tank acting as an enabler for the green transition in the Danube Region through establishing a functional cooperation of public authorities, civil society, and the private, investment, and financial sectors to improve capacities of cities and regions for triggering and implementing investments into more responsible land use practices as a basis for new green and just economy. The initiative is also an innovative force, inventing and testing new methods and formats to involve different stakeholders in this transition and foster life-long education on all levels.
Process; ongoing
EUSDR Priority Area(s): PA 4 Water Quality
Climate change is a global challenge and it is a crosscutting issue. PA 4 supports a number of related actions in which water availability and water quality are key issues to climate change adaptation as stated in PA 4 Action 6 of the EUSDR Action Plan. Moreover, climate change issues are also part of PA 5 activities.
Among others, PA 4 organised a conference on adaptation to climate change in Budapest, HU, (2023) to showcase good practices and innovative, new approaches. The Priority Area supports a number of international projects on small water and nutrient retention measures (OPTAIN), local water retention measures (LIFE LOGOS 4 WATERS). PA 4 is assisting in the Danube Water Balance project, creating a water balance mode for the whole Danube River Basin. It actively supports the innovative water management initiatives of the DALIA project, DanubeSediment_Q2 in improving the management of sediment quantity and quality, RESTORIVER in the restoration of river banks and riparian areas and facilities other projects related to climate change.
Process; ongoing
EUSDR Priority Area(s): PA 4 Water Quality
PA 4 has been very active in the field of emerging substances as they represent a significant risk to the water environment. Although by Watch List of Directive 2000/60/EC (Water Framework Directive – WFD; Annex X – the substances are specified in detail in Directive 2013/39/EU), there is an obligation to monitor hazardous and emerging substances in surface water and for groundwater it is not compulsory. Since this list is continually enlarging, currently there is not enough relevant data available on their occurrence as well as on their impacts on ecosystems and humans.
PA 4 organised data collection on microplastic at WWTPs and is supporting international projects and project proposals on plastic and microplastic like Aquatic Plastic and MicroDrink.
Moreover, PA 4 in 2019 prepared a study on the pharmaceutics occurrence in surface water and groundwater, which had a positive impact on policymaking and development. As A continuation to this topic, in the future PA 4 plans to organise a conference on pharmaceutics occurrence in water when the respective legislation will be in place. The established cooperation with the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region in hazardous substance issues is promising to solve the challenges jointly.
PA 4 also strongly supports the implementation of the Thetys project, a coordinated Danube action to tackle water pollution by hazardous substances.
Process; ongoing
EUSDR Priority Area(s): PA 4 Water Quality, PA 6 Biodiversity, Landscapes and Air & Soil Quality
Submitted by: PA 4
PA 4 in cooperation with PA 6 is very active in increasing the knowledge base on migratory fish species, including the sturgeon – the Danube endemic fish species – and is looking for possibilities of re-establishing their migration routes. PA 4 supports international projects like the Monstur project to establish, test, and launch a transboundary system to monitor sturgeon species for the management and protection of migratory fish in the Danube basin or We Pass I and II and Living Rivers projects to enable fish migration at the Iron Gates and Gabčíkovo Water Structure. PA 4 presented a brochure “Promoting Measures to Enable Fish Migration in the Danube River Basin” summarising the current knowledge, carried out a study on the effects of noise and waves on fish species and a fish migration restoration document, prepared an animated film about sterlets, and organised a working meeting regarding fish migration “From Iron Gates to Gabčíkovo Water Structure”. PA 4 is also continuously promoting hydro-morphological measures to achieve a good ecological status of the waters needed for fish migration.
Platform; ongoing
EUSDR Priority Area(s): PA 5 Environmental Risks
Nature-based solutions (NBS) for flood risk reduction are interventions inspired and supported by nature, providing cost-effective environmental, social, and economic benefits while building resilience. These solutions enhance urban and rural landscapes by integrating natural features and processes, often allowing nature to self-sustain (e.g., river restoration). In flood risk management, NBS involve managing erosion and flood risks by leveraging natural regulatory functions of catchments and coasts, promoting human well-being and biodiversity.
Recent decades have seen a push for flexible, multifunctional solutions in flood risk management, leading to the rise of NBS. These solutions mitigate flood impacts like erosion and sedimentation, reduce drought risk, and offer other benefits. NBS can be purely natural (“green”) or hybrid, combining natural and engineered elements, embodying the concept of “making more space for rivers” and necessitating basin-level flood protection planning.
To advance NBS, an online workshop in October 2022, organised by EUSDR PA 5 with the involvement of PA 4 Water Quality and PA 6 Biodiversity, showcased successful projects from 17 countries. These included initiatives like the Danube Floodplain Projects, FRAMWAT, MERLIN, Optain, and Danube4All. Key recommendations from the workshop included sub-basin level NBS design, advocating for supportive legislation, promoting case studies, and disseminating information on water retention strategies.
The Global Water Partnership (CEE) has established a mission to define, design, and launch a community of practice (CoP) related to NBS in 2022. The community will build on the GWP Toolbox – IWRM action hub, which GWP has recently developed and launched.
The Interreg Europe NBS4LOCAL project, launched in March 2023, aims to integrate NBS into policy instruments, supporting local authorities with regulatory measures and resource allocation. Additionally, a study on advancing NBS in hillside water management and the establishment of the Nature-based Solutions Hub (TeAM HUb) in Hungary highlights ongoing efforts.
EUSDR PA 5’s platform on NBS for flood risk reduction provides examples and policy recommendations across the Danube Region. Effective flood management is crucial for protecting communities and assets. NBS, alongside traditional engineering (“gray infrastructure”), offers sustainable alternatives by utilising natural processes for flood risk reduction and improving water quality.
Project, process, network, platform; ongoing
EUSDR Priority Area(s): PA 5 Environmental Risks
Extending the cooperation and joint efforts of the countries in the Danube Region presents an opportunity for reaching a common understanding and for developing standards regarding the management of environmental risks. Developing recommendations for the involvement of civil protection organisations and fire and rescue services involved in disaster management would encourage standardised response activities.
The Disaster Management Working Group (DM-WG) was established in 2019 to concentrate on emergency response and preparedness elements of managing environmental risks which are within the scope of EUSDR PA 5.
Network; ongoing
EUSDR Priority Area(s): PA 5 Environmental Risks
These actions and targets align with the proposal’s goals of raising public awareness and involving local governments in environmental safety initiatives. By focusing on these areas, the proposal supports the broader objectives of the EUSDR Action Plan, enhancing the Region’s resilience to environmental risks and promoting sustainable development.
Network; ongoing
EUSDR Priority Area(s): PA 6 Biodiversity, Landscapes and Air & Soil Quality
The Danube WILDisland RRI is intended as the first river-focused Ramsar Regional Initiative in Europe to foster international and cross-sector cooperation and natural river and island protection, at the world´s most international river. The Initiative is intended as a long-term collaborative effort between countries and entities for the entire Danube Region, the Ramsar Convention Secretariat, intergovernmental institutions, international non-governmental organisations, and national institutions specialised in wetland issues, and finally, Danube protected areas, which aims to ensure the effective conservation of wetlands and the wise use of their resources, values, and services within the framework of the Ramsar Convention. It will strive to provide practical means for international cooperation and support for an effective implementation of the Ramsar Convention and its Strategic Plan in the Danube Region, for improving the visibility of the Ramsar Convention and wetland-related issues of common concern through voluntary international cooperation at the regional level and, in particular, involving all relevant national and regional stakeholders.
It will assist the participating Member States to further advance the goals and adhere to their obligations related to wetlands conservation in the frame of the Ramsar Convention. The RRI will strive to mobilise political support, to strengthen the Danube as an ecological corridor connecting more bio-geographic regions than any other corridor in Europe, and to act as an example of best practices for the establishment of European Green and Blue Infrastructure.
Project; ongoing
EUSDR Priority Area(s): PA 7 Knowledge Society
The main objective is to harmonise the implementation of the European missions on the Danube Region level.
We observe significant disparities in the level of understanding, setup, and implementation of the European missions among European regions.
Within the proposed project, we aim to minimise these disparities in Missions 1 and 4 and help set up an effective Missions governing model on the Danube Region level and thus reinforce the position of the Danube Region in the implementation of the EU environment.
Process, multilateral call; ongoing
Submitted by / EUSDR Priority Area(s): PA 7 Knowledge Society
The joint funding instrument MULTILATERAL SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL COOPERATION IN THE DANUBE REGION was created based on existing bilateral cooperation programmes. Using already tested application and evaluation schemes lowers the bureaucratic burden for both applicants and implementing agencies.
Project, network, platform; ongoing
EUSDR Priority Area(s): PA 7 Knowledge Society
A newly-launched (March 2022) Horizon Europe funded project, called POLICY ANSWERS, will deploy a vast array of tools – from high-level meetings to information services, from launching pilot activities to policy recommendations on key innovation issues – to support better integration of the Western Balkans into the European Research Area (ERA).
The project aims to continue and scale up the common efforts of the European Union and the Western Balkans – Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia – for cooperation on Innovation, Research, Education, Culture, Youth and Sport. The goal is to ultimately foster stability and prosperity while strengthening the European perspective of the Region.
The focus on the Western Balkans allows for a contribution both to the EUSAIR as well as EUSDR (as foreseen in the project plan).
Led by the Centre for Social Innovation (ZSI) in Vienna and involving 14 partner institutions, the project builds on the solid ground created by successful past experiences, including WBC-INCO.NET and Danube-INCO.NET. From the Danube Region, the following countries are represented in the project: Austria, Croatia, Germany, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Serbia.
In the past years, the Western Balkans Steering Platforms (WB SPs) for Research & Innovation and Education & Training have played a central role in stimulating, monitoring, and supporting the cooperation in research, education, and innovation between the European Union Member States, the European Commission and the Western Balkans in EU funded programmes and beyond. Regular platform meetings, including at the Ministerial level, have brought together a multitude of stakeholders to identify common priorities, discuss the latest policy and reforming measures, decide on spin-off activities and follow-up measures as well as on topics for regional cooperation with EU assistance.
Past efforts supported by the EU have also built widely-used information hubs and services: from websites and social media to monthly newsletters, which provide high-quality targeted information on research, technology and innovation in, with and for the Western Balkans but also touch upon education, culture, youth and sports.
* This designation is without prejudice to positions on status and is in line with UNSCR 1244 and the ICJ opinion on Kosovo Declaration of Independence
Project; ongoing
EUSDR Priority Area(s): PA 8 Competitiveness of Enterprises
Make sustainable products the norm in the EU; focus on the sectors that use the most resources and where the potential for circularity is high, including batteries and vehicles, packaging, textiles, plastics, ICT, construction and buildings, food, water, and nutrients; ensure less waste; make circularity work for people, regions, and cities. The development and implementation of Circular Economy Business Models (CEBM) meet common obstacles in the Danube Region such as local regulations contrary to the circular concept, lack of infrastructure for waste treatment, lack of recycling technology, and especially a lack of adequately planned business models. This is where the project aims to intervene by providing methods and tools to SMEs.
Project; ongoing
EUSDR Priority Area(s): PA 8 Competitiveness of Enterprises
The Plan-C project consortium of 14 partners from Germany, Austria, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Romania and the Republic of Moldova aims to boost the transformation of the plastics value chain in the Danube Region towards circularity through the transnational cooperation of plastics processors/producers and the machine industry. Close cooperation among partners across the Danube Region countries is required to introduce a fundamental change in this complex plastics value chain, implying a radical shift of mindsets, behaviour, and business paradigms.
Project; ongoing
EUSDR Priority Area(s): PA 8 Competitiveness of Enterprises
WE.Circular comes as a response to the specific needs of women entrepreneurs (WE) in the Danube Region through project transnational activities focused on: the identification of needs and challenges WE face in their digital and CE transition; exchange of knowledge; CE policy measures in the Danube Region, policy improvement and S3s harmonisation through developed Transnational Strategy for WE Circular Transition; innovative training programme for development and improvement of digital and CE culture and skills delivered by Learning Network; innovative circular business models for recycling, reuse, and reduce developed and tested by WE.Circular Labs which will also facilitate the increase of skills of stakeholders to harmonise S3s; capacity building of the public authorities regarding the assessment of innovative circular business model and, design of a supportive WE policy framework via Transnational Policy Learning Centre.
Platform; ongoing
EUSDR Priority Area(s): PA 9 People & Skills
The Danube Region Platform on Centres of Vocational Excellence serves as a forum for policy and practice exchange on Centres of Vocational Excellence (CoVEs) with a thematic focus on going green and social inclusion. The platform was launched in 2021 by EUSDR Priority Area 9 in cooperation with the European Training Foundation (ETF) Network for Excellence (ENE).
As part of the initiative, a Policy Platform was established, promoting exchange and cooperation among core stakeholders from responsible national institutions in Danube Region countries and experts from the European Commission, PA 9 and ETF. The Danube Region Platform also promotes the development of transnational CoVEs-projects in the Danube Region.
Platform; ongoing
EUSDR Priority Area(s): PA 9 People & Skills
The Education Reform Initiative of South Eastern Europe (ERI SEE) is a regional organisation enhancing and facilitating regional cooperation in the area of education and training. It is mandated by the ministries in charge of education from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Republic of Moldova.
Network; ongoing
EUSDR Priority Area(s): PA 9 People & Skills, PA 10 Institutional Capacity & Cooperation
The ESF Network of the EUSDR was established following the Meeting of Ministers in charge of EU funds at the margins of the EUSDR Annual Forum in Ulm, Germany, in 2015. The Network constitutes a platform of ESF Managing Authorities in the Danube Region to facilitate the exchange and coordination between the Managing Authorities, the respective EUSDR Priority Areas, and the European Commission as well as further relevant stakeholders. From 2024, also the future Managing Authorities of the Candidate Countries are part of the network. It aims at fostering transnational cooperation in the Danube Region, thereby connecting cooperation and investment, and serves as a joint knowledge hub for implementation, planning, and exchange of experience with social policies.
The EUSDR ESF Network is chaired and organised by PAC 9 “People and Skills” and PAC 10 “Institutional Capacity & Cooperation” together with the network partners.
Process, initiative; ongoing
EUSDR Priority Area(s): PA 10 Institutional Capacity & Cooperation
Smooth cross-border emergency healthcare is a major contribution to better quality of life, in particular for people living in border regions. Thus, this initiative reconciles legal, administrative, technical and cultural aspects of cross-border cooperation. In doing so, the initiative benefits from a strong political will and dedicated partners.
Project; ongoing
EUSDR Priority Area(s): PA 10 Institutional Capacity & Cooperation
The project supports and empowers refugee women, mothers and their families from Ukraine and communities in bordering countries. With a focus on a trauma-sensitive approach, the foreseen activities are based on three pillars:
- exchange and network building,
- capacity building and empowerment,
- development of Mother Centre initiatives in Ukraine as a “safe space” for informal learning and democracy building.
Platform; ongoing
EUSDR Priority Area(s): PA 10 Institutional Capacity & Cooperation
The National Participation Days provide a platform for representatives from public authorities and civil society organisations to develop ways of cooperation. In doing so, the Participation Days offer a unique opportunity to align projects and initiatives with EUSDR´s objectives and actions.
Project; ongoing
EUSDR Priority Area(s): PA 11 Security
In 2023, an OSINT report from the GLOBAL INITIATIVE AGAINST TRANSNATIONAL AND ORGANIZED CRIME on the effects of the Russian war against Ukraine was published. The content of this report highlighted current and potential future flows of illicitly traded weapons. A first workshop by law enforcement agencies (LEAs) from around Europe on the topic in April 2024 has identified 14 recommendations on how to improve the fight against illicit firearms arms trafficking. In the next step, the applicants aim to build on these recommendations and to conduct an in-depth workshop to facilitate their implementation.
For the previous Danube Strategy Flagship lists, please click the respective links below:
Download the pdf-versions of the Danube Strategy Flagship lists and the Guidance Paper for identifying and listing Danube Strategy Flagships here:
