On 13 June 2024, the Austrian EUSDR Presidency organised the meeting of the EUSDR National Coordinators, at The Egg, in Brussels.

Based on the agenda, the National Coordinators of the EUSDR, the European Commission, the Danube Strategy Point, and the Danube Region Programme convened to discuss the most recent advancements in the Danube Region Strategy.

The participants briefly shared their thoughts on the preliminary EUSDR-focused lessons learned from the EU Macro-Regional and Sea-Basin Strategies Days held on June 12-13, 2024. The programme then proceeded with a briefing on the progress made in implementing the Austrian EUSDR Presidency programme and a glimpse into future activities and events. The highlight among these is the 13th edition of the EUSDR Annual Forum, which will have the participation and political backing of the European Commissioner for Budget and Administration, Johannes Hahn.

Johan Magnusson, the representative of the European Commission, presented the ongoing initiatives undertaken by DG REGIO that are particularly important for the EUSDR and the future prospects in 2024. The main emphasis was placed on the Macro-Regional Stragies High-level group meeting scheduled for 14 June 2024 and the preparations for the 5th Macro-Regional Strategies Implementation Report.

The national level discussions and information exchange regarding issues of joint interest in the implementation of the Danube Region Strategy followed. These discussions primarily focused on the EU enlargement process from a national perspective, as well as the role of the EUSDR in the context of EU enlargement, Cohesion Policy, and national perspectives. Furthermore, the future of Cohesion Policy beyond 2027 and the role of the EUSDR in this process were also deliberated upon.

The representative of the Danube Region Programme, Johannes Gabriel, gave an overview of the current status of the first call for proposals, with 56 projects in progress since January 2024. Information was also shared about the Seed Money Facility Call specifically for the #EUSDR Priority Areas. It was noted that any amendments would be decided by the Programme’s Monitoring Committee, and the Committee’s upcoming meeting is set for June 26-27, 2024 in Sarajevo.

The final point on the agenda was the future of the Danube Youth Organisations Network (DYON), focusing on the establishment and collaboration within the network as well as its role in the EUSDR.

The participants gathered in the evening for a Panel Discussion regarding the Future Perspectives of Cooperation in the Danube Region and engaged in networking at the Permanent Representation of Austria to the European Union.