Wednesday, 21 October 2020: side event
10:00
Opening Session
10:00 – 10:50
Welcome addresses – 7th Danube Participation Day
- EUSDR Presidency Croatia
- European Commission (tbc)
- European Parliament (tbc)
- EUSDR Priority Area 9 & 10
- Danube Youth Network
Quiz on Youth in the Danube Region
10:50
Interacting with youth in the Danube Region
10:50 – 11:50
Introducing the Guidance paper on Youth Participation
Claudia Singer | EUSDR Priority Area 10
Introducing the Danube Youth Network
Danube Youth Network
30 years Interreg & Youth Participation
Alessandra Cardaci, DG Regio
Online Poll on Youth Participation in the Danube Region
12:00
Working Group Session
12:00 – 13:30
Parallel Working Groups (topics can be subject to further change)
- Communication & the EUSDR | Danube Youth Network
- Boosting youth in the EUSDR Governance
- Youth and cross-border cooperation | AEBR Balkans
- Youth and Education | EUSDR Priority Area 9
- Environment – Youth – Sustainability | Danube Civil Society Forum/WWF
13:30
Wrap up & Closing Session
13:30 – 14:00
Poll on Youth Participation in the Danube Region
Wrap-up Working Groups
Panel – Political Statement on Youth Participation
Handing over the bell
Thursday, 22 October 2020
10:00
Official opening of the 9th Annual Forum
Official opening by the Moderator
10:00 – 10:40
Opening session of the 9th Annual Forum with speeches / greetings
- Nataša Tramišak, Minister for Regional Development and EU Funds
- Elisa Ferreira, Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms
- Andrej Plenković, Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia
10:40 – 11:00
Keynote speaker
- Mate Rimac, Rimac automobili, Croatia
Ministerial Meeting (invitation only)
11:00 – 13:00
Ministerial Meeting
virtual event
13:05
Family photo
13:10
Virtual Press Conference
Virtual Thematic panels
11:00 – 11:30
Plenary session
Harmonious and sustainable development of the Danube Region – Joint introduction for panels
In this dynamic period for Europe, all available knowledge and experts should contribute to the development of European regions as proven catalysts for growth and added value of European cooperation. Regional development is placed at the centre of Croatia’s presidency of the Danube Strategy, as a precondition for economic growth, sustainable social development and strengthening of territorial cohesion. This is also an opportunity to strengthen the role of macro-regional strategies in the cohesion policy of the European Union.
The priorities and financial instruments of the regional policy, as the primary investment policy of the EU, are used to support prosperity, security and improved quality of life for all EU citizens, as well as political and economic stability in Europe as a whole. In line with regional policy objectives, European regions and cities are supported in the creation of new jobs, business competitiveness, sustainable development and improved quality of life for citizens.
Contributors:
- Giacomo Luciani, DG for Regional and Urban Policy
- Miroslav Vesković, Joint Research Centre
- Naida Mekić, Ministry of Labour, Pension System, Family and Social Policy, Croatia
11:30 – 12:30
Parallel Thematic Sessions (break-up sessions/panels)
Thematic Session 1
The ecologic perspective of sustainable regional development
The EU will be climate neutral in 2050. The European Green Deal is about improving the well-being of people. Making Europe climate-neutral and protecting our natural habitat will be good for the people, the planet and the economy. Protected and well-preserved nature will ensure the stability of fundamental values and development potentials for the Danube region. This panel will focus and bring forward the ecological aspects of regional development.
Moderators: Ana Kobašlić and Florian Ballnus, Coordinators of EUSDR Priority Area 6
Panellists:
- Anne Teller, Senior Expert, DG for Environnent
- Aljoša Duplić, Acting Director, Institute for Environment and Nature, Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development
- Irene Lucius, Regional Conservation Director, Worldwide Fund for Nature Central and Eastern Europe
- Peter Gammeltoft, Chair of the Danube Sturgeon Task Force (DSTF) and member of the OECD Water Governance Initiative
Thematic Session 2
The economic perspective of sustainable regional development
Helping companies become world leaders in clean products and technologies will ensure economic development and inclusive transition. Digitalisation and circular economy are key enablers for reaching the objectives of the Green Deal. More systematic cooperation should be encouraged in order to contribute to all the functionalities required for human life and the economic development. This panel will underline the economic aspects of regional development.
Moderators: Nirvana Kapitan Butković and Judit Schrick-Szenczi, Coordinators of EUSDR Priority Area 8
Panellists:
- Sanja Popović Pantić, Institute Mihajlo Pupin, Serbia
- Johannes Lutter, Head of Future Cities Department, Urban Innovation Vienna, Austria
- Gerd Meier zu Köcker, ClusterAgentur Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany
- Sandi Orlić, Institute Ruđer Bošković, Croatia
Thematic Session 3
The social perspective of sustainable regional development
The panel will focus on how to improve social and education policies as well as civil protection within a sustainable regional development in the Danube Region. It will emphasize the important role of Social and Labour Market Policies, Education, Vocational Education and Training for Social Fairness, Sustainable Development and Resilience, touch upon Learning and Competences to support the Green and Digital Transition as well as show innovative and interdisciplinary aspects of Knowledge Sharing about Flood Resilience in the Danube Region.
Moderator: Roland Hanak, Coordinator of EUSDR Priority Area 9
Panellists:
- Filip Miličević, Ministry of Labour, Pension System, Family and Social Policy, Croatia
- Ulrike Damyanovic, European Training Foundation, Italy
- Stephan Waba, Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research, Austria
- Ivana Cesarec, Ministry of Interior, Croatia
12:30 – 13:00
Plenary session
Harmonious and sustainable development of the Danube Region – Joint conclusions of panels
After attending the Parallel Thematic sessions, according to the interest shown during registration, all participants are to return to the Plenary session. One rapporteur from each Parallel Thematic session will introduce the main conclusions and topics of the discussions.
Rapporteurs:
- Ana Kobašlić and Florian Ballnus, Coordinators of EUSDR Priority Area 6
- Miroslav Vesković, Joint Research Centre
- Roland Hanak, Coordinator of EUSDR Priority Area 9
13:00 – 14:00
Break
Make a virtual walk through the exhibition “30 years of Interreg”
14:00 – 16:00
Parallel Thematic Sessions (break-up sessions/panels)
Instruments for financing the development of the Danube Region
Session I
Danube Transnational Programme, present and future: new priorities for 2021-2027
The Danube Region is a region of challenges and opportunities: the Danube Transnational Programme offers stakeholders the possibility to address both by funding strategic projects. The new programming period is providing the opportunity for the countries to take part in the Danube Transnational Programme by assessing how to further support this perspective region. The newly selected priorities and specific objectives will be presented, along with the plan to address the core needs of the area.
Session II
Meeting of EUSDR National Coordinators with Managing Authorities from the Danube Region
(invitation only)
The aim of the meeting is to initiate the network of national and regional managing authorities responsible for ESI and IPA/NDICI funds. The already established EUSDR ESF Network could be immediately utilised in this respect. Such network should become a permanent tool for coordinating and monitoring of the implementation of macro-regional actions and projects included in the operational and national programmes.
Moderator: Ilze Ciganska, INTERACT
Panellists:
- Colin Wolfe, DG for Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations
- Andreja Jerina, EUSDR National Coordinator, Slovenia
- Filip Miličević, ESF MA network, Ministry of Labour, Pension System, Family and Social Policy, Croatia
16:00 – 16:30
Closing session & Concluding remarks
- Vittoria Alliata – di Villafranca, DG for Regional and Urban Policy
- EUSDR Croatian Presidency
- Upcoming EUSDR Slovak Presidency
The 9th EUSDR Annual Forum, jointly organised by the Republic of Croatia, the European Commission and the Danube Transnational Programme with the support of the Danube Strategy Point, will take place online on 22nd October 2020.
The annual EUSDR event is a great and unique opportunity for promotion of deeper and wider cooperation between EUSDR countries. At this crucial global moment, cooperation is the solution to the restauration of economic, environmental and social activities.
The Forum will be opened physically through a meeting of the Ministers responsible for the EUSDR. A Joint Statement is to be adopted as a result of this meeting.
The plenary and thematic sessions will focus on interlinks between the EU Green Deal and the new EUSDR Action Plan. Special focus will be on those parts of the EU Green Deal, which support both regional and sustainable development as well as civil protection to improve life in the Danube Region.
Another important point on the agenda will be a session on financial support for the Danube Region within the process of Embedding the objectives and actions of the EUSDR into the European, national and regional programmes after 2021.
Information on the future Danube Transnational Programme will be presented for the first time in an interactive and engaging session.
The 9th EUSDR Annual Forum will also host the 7th Danube Participation Day as a back to back event, focussing on Youth Participation in the Danube Region. This event will take place online on 21st October 2020.
Due to the current COVID-19 pandemic and for safety and health reasons the 9th EUSDR Annual Forum will be held online.
Registration will be opened in the upcoming weeks under: www.eusdr2020.hr. More information about the Forum, including a detailed agenda and a list of speakers will also be available soon on the EUSDR website www.danube-region.eu. In the meantime, we kindly ask you to save the date.
The Croatian EUSDR Presidency
