Encouraging immediate action from all players
A new game puts the Danube Basin and its natural and cultural treasures in the
spotlight and gives players the incentive to spend time exploring the river – proving
that learning doesn’t have to be boring.
Encouraging immediate action from all players
Coordinators have begun preparing for the Strategy’s implementation, identifying the measures that are urgently needed to revive the region and to explore its full economic potential. Getting all stakeholders involved – especially private players – will be the key to the Strategy’s success.
To steer through the Danube Strategy, countries in the region need to ensure that all stakeholders are involved, especially private players.
The Success of the Strategy requires joining forces in strategic as well as operational implementation. A Public Private Community Partnership could be a useful model, where both the national and regional government and private players work together, with the focus shifted towards achieving targets as well as creating profit. Erhard Busek, Coordinator of the South-Easter Cooperative Initiative and Chairman of the Institute for Danube Region and Central Europe, speaks to Danube Watch about the need to bring all players together, and to get them to take immediate action.
INsTITuTe foR The daNube ReGIoN aNd ceNTRal euRoPe
The Institute for the Danube Region and Central Europe (IDM) was founded in Austria in 1953 as the ‘Research Institute for Issues of the Danube Region’. Today, the IDM serves as a research institute and think tank for government agencies and institutions in the fields of politics, education, culture and business. IDM carries out research projects dealing with current political, sociological, economic, cultural and ethnic issues of the Danube region and Central Europe. Results are distributed through educational activities and events, as well as through publications.
As a gateway and facilitator institution, IDM supports the work of embassies, trade missions, cultural institutes and national tourist offices of the countries of the Danube region and Central and Southeast Europe.
Danube Watch: You often emphasise that you as
an ‘elder statesman’ can be more open and critical
than active politicians. do you see aspects of the EU
Danube Strategy where active politicians are not
critical enough?
Busek: Concerning the EU Danube Strategy, the
majority of politicians are not active enough. So far
they have to be pushed, because it is an outstanding
opportunity for the region. Especially in regards
to the economic situation, but also in for ecological
issues it is necessary to do more than is currently
happening.
Danube Watch: How would you compare the relevance
of public players (national, regional and
municipal governments) versus private ones (NGOs,
companies, etc.) in the Danube Strategy?
Busek: Public and private players have a very different
role and responsibility. I think it is up to private stakeholders
to push and to make proposals for realisation,
or to do it themselves. The responsibility of the public
player is to assure better cooperation and to set time
limits in which things can be done.
Danube Watch: Which milestones would you define to
monitor the success of the strategy over the next
one or two years?
Busek: If some projects are started and the framework
of a strategy can be recognised for the next one or two
years, then it is a great success.
Danube Watch: Which policy should succeed the
Danube Strategy? Should it be linked up with other
regional development papers?
Busek: The Danube Strategy is a part of European
Strategy. I believe that it should be also linked with
the Carpathian and with the Adriatic Strategy also as
with the Black Sea Area.
Danube Watch: Europe, 2020. What will be different
due to the Danube Strategy?
Busek: Europe 2020 should be a time where a closer
regional cooperation is in existence for the Danube.
The aim should be for the Danube to play the same
role at the Rheine River in terms of European integration.
The aim there was to overcome the river as a line
of division. The same should happen for the Danube.
eRhaRd busek
Erhard Busek is the Coordinator of the South-Eastern Cooperative Initiative, a project created in 1996 to enhance stability in Southeastern Europe through the development of economic and environmental cooperation. He is also the Chairman of the Institute for Danube Region and Central Europe.
Mr. Busek served as Deputy Mayor of the City of Vienna, Austria, from 1978 to 1987. He was appointed Austrian Minister for Science and Research in 1989, and from 1991 to 1995 served as Vice-Chancellor of Austria. From 2000 to 2001, he was Special Representative of the Austrian Government for the Enlargement of the European Union. From January 2002 he was Special Coordinator of the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe, a position he held until the handover of the mandate of the Stability Pact to the Regional Cooperation Council. Mr. Busek holds a law degree from the University of Vienna.
