Bulgaria supported the choice of a new coordinating structure supporting the Danube Strategy

The decision taken during the joint meeting of the Monitoring Committee for the Danube Program 2014-2020 and the National Danube Strategy Coordinators, held on 18 July in Split, Croatia, successfully completed the efforts of the Bulgarian Presidency of the Danube Strategy to achieve a consensus among the countries of the Danube region to select a new coordinating structure to support the implementation of the Strategy. Under its Presidency, Bulgaria has ensured a constructive debate on the choice of the new structure in order to ensure continuity and further improve the governance and coordination of the Strategy. City of Vienna - Austria, in partnership with the Ministry of Regional Development, Public Information and European Funds of Romania, will take over the organization and functioning of the new structure. The members of the Monitoring Committee and the National Coordinators highly appreciated the joint project proposal of Austria and Romania which was approved by consensus by all the countries represented at the meeting. Deputy Minister Denitsa Nikolova, as National Strategy Coordinator for Bulgaria, also expressed support for the project proposal of Austria and Romania. She also presented information on progress in the preparation of the Annual Danube Strategy Forum in Sofia in October 2018.

Within the joint meeting were presented and discussed the results of the evaluation of the project proposals under the Project Development Fund under Specific Objective 4.2 of the Danube Program related to the improvement of the management systems and the capacity of the institutions involved in the development and implementation of the objectives of the Danube Strategy. A total of 19 proposals were approved, involving 9 Bulgarian partners, including 4 leading partners (Association of Bulgarian Energy Agencies, Regional Agency for Entrepreneurship and Innovation-Varna, Foundation for Creating Effective Alternatives and WWF Bulgaria).

On 17 July 2018, the 8th meeting of the Monitoring Committee for the Danube Program 2014-2020 was held in Split. The members of the Monitoring Committee discussed and adopted the concept and the next steps for preparing and opening a third Call for Proposals under the program. The call is foreseen to be open on all priority axes covering innovation, capacity improvement, water quality management, transport, bicycle routes, etc. in October 2018. Thematic information events during the call (with the assistance of national Program Contact Points) will be organized in all Danube Region countries.