An international conference entitled “Regional branding and network building of cultural economy and tourism”, aiming to get acquainted with Danube-connected, local good practices first hand.

On 8 March 2022, hundreds of young people competed with their business models for a place in the finals of the national competition in entrepreneurial ideas POPRI, organized by the Primorska Technology Park. At the regional pre-elections organised in Slovenia, experienced entrepreneurs in the regional commissions decided which teams presented their ideas most convincingly. A maximum of 12 best teams from each region and individual category can qualify for the national finals in Nova Gorica.

Bilingual education was not foreseen as part of the initial purpose of the Bilingual Primary School in Prosenjakovci, but resulted directly from a request by Hungarian-speaking citizens living in this ethnically mixed area for primary education for their children, as they perceived the system to be of higher quality. Even though Slovenian schools have no obligation to admit pupils from Hungary living outside Slovenia, the bilingual school of Morasvke Toplice has been offering this opportunity on a voluntary basis.

The report elaborates on the cross-border collaboration in the field of health between Lower Austria and Czechia, and the beginning of collaboration with Slovakia. It focuses on the gradual provision of outpatient care and the exchange of medical expertise taking place in three border regions; documents the first largescale effort to develop cross-border cooperation on health care between a long-standing and new European Union Member States; and provides information on how and why cross-border care started, mechanisms used to put it in place, key stakeholders and the lessons learned, including challenges and enabling factors.

The European Parliament and the Council of the European Union, represented by the Portuguese Presidency, signed the regulation establishing the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument – Global Europe (NDICI-Global Europe). The regulation entered into force on 14 June 2021. NDICI-Global Europe is the main financial instrument for the EU’s external action, and is of ever greater importance in the light of the heavy economic and social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic worldwide.

“Healthy oceans are a precondition for a thriving blue economy. Pollution, overfishing and habitat destruction, coupled with the effects of the climate crisis, all threaten the rich marine biodiversity that the blue economy depends on. We must change track and develop a sustainable blue economy where environmental protection and economic activities go hand in hand.” (Frans Timmermans)

EUSDR – Danube Region Strategy is the name of the application that can be downloaded from Google Play or AppStore for mobile devices. It provides an animated map of the EUSDR region, including a few details about each country.

The LIFE – sub-programme “Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation” aims at bolstering the adaptation policies and strategies of national, regional and local authorities and thereby contibuting to the implementation of the EU's climate policy.

 

In 2021, the EU Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR) celebrates its 10th anniversary: 10 years of transnational cooperation in the fields of mobility and transport, energy, tourism and culture, protection of water, nature and biodiversity, education and labour market, competitiveness, strengthening of institutional cooperation and security.

As the pandemic strikes, cargo transport volumes could be reduced across the Danube Region. In their conclusions, Danube Ministers of Transport have acknowledged the need for further cooperation across the waterway.