The Bulgarian Presidency of the European Union Strategy for the Danube Region, coordinated by the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works, presented the contribution of the Danube Strategy to supporting the European Union enlargement process during a panel dedicated to the role of macro-regional and maritime strategies in supporting candidate countries. The discussion took place within the framework of the Macro-regional and Maritime Strategies Days in Brussels, organised by the European Commission.

The National Coordinator for the Danube Strategy for Bulgaria Vyara Mincheva stressed that the Strategy provides Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, Moldova and Ukraine with the opportunity to participate on an equal footing with the Member States in all mechanisms of the Strategy. In this way, they build administrative capacity, practical experience and sustainable partnerships even before their accession to the European Union.

"Enlargement is not supported through a single initiative. It is embedded in all twelve priority areas of the Danube Strategy, where Member States and candidate countries work together on common policies and priorities," Mincheva noted.

She also presented one of the initiatives of the Bulgarian Presidency - the development of cooperation between the Danube Strategy and the Common Maritime Agenda of the EU for the Black Sea, which this year is also coordinated by Bulgaria. The aim is to make better use of opportunities for cooperation in areas such as transport connectivity, environmental protection, logistics, tourism, culture and regional development.

During the panel, participants from the European Commission, macro-regional strategies and transnational programmes shared the common understanding that macro-regional strategies provide a well-established framework for practical cooperation between Member States and candidate countries and can make a significant contribution to their better preparation for future membership of the European Union.