The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has approved the Program of Ukraine’s Presidency of the European Union Strategy for the Danube Region for the period from November 2021 to November 2022 and approved the Action Plan for its implementation.
Thus, Ukraine will become the first non-EU country to chair this macro-regional EU initiative for a year, which involves 14 countries of the Danube basin. This is an ambitious step on the part of the Ukrainian government, as the country’s presidency of the Danube Strategy is a responsible mission that will require significant intellectual, human, and financial resources.
On the eve of the important governmental decision, a working meeting was held in Odesa on the initiative of the Odesa Regional Council’s deputy group “EU Strategy for the Danube Region”, headed by the Regional Council deputy Veniamin Unguryan, a working meeting was held between Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Olha Stefanishyna and Head of the Odesa Regional State Administration Serhiy Hrynevetskyi, members of the regional council, heads of territorial communities, heads of departments, offices and organizations working on cross-border cooperation projects in the region.
The key issues of the working meeting were cross-border cooperation and the development of territorial communities in Odesa Oblast in the context of Ukraine’s presidency of the Danube Strategy.
The European Strategy for the Danube Region has been implemented since 2010 as a macro-regional initiative of the European Union, involving 14 countries of the Danube basin, including Ukraine, which is represented by four oblasts of the Danube-Carpathian region – Odesa, Zakarpattia, Ivano-Frankivsk, and Chernivtsi. This is a unique Ukrainian part of the Danube Region, which covers an area of more than 68,000 square kilometers and has a population of almost six million, with the greatest ethnic diversity among other Ukrainian regions.
Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna emphasized that Ukraine’s presidency of the EUSDR is a unique opportunity to comprehensively join new European initiatives for the comprehensive implementation of promising micro-, macro-regional and national strategic projects of various timeframes. At the same time, cross-border cooperation should be the main priority, with prospects for its implementation, in particular for the Odesa region, including the development of border and customs infrastructure, and the attraction of additional financial resources through EU structures to implement local initiatives.
“I see several points for realizing the potential in the development of cross-border cooperation. First of all, the Law of Ukraine on Inland Waterways will come into force on January 1, 2022. In addition, by the end of this year, we expect that the Ukrainian part of the Danube River will be included in the international routes of communication and trade of the European Union. This opens up great potential for the development of Odesa region and parts of the regions through which the Danube River passes. For the first time in the past 10 years, we have approved the Border Infrastructure Development Program and allocated funds in the state budget for the development and construction of checkpoints, including all sections of the common border with the European Union that runs through Odesa Oblast. All these decisions create opportunities for the development of cross-border cooperation and the attraction of funds and additional resources through the structures and funds of the European Union. That is why I am grateful to Odesa residents for the work done by the Odesa Regional State Administration and the deputy group,” said Olha Stefanishyna, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration.
Head of Odesa Oblast State Administration Serhiy Hrynevetskyi emphasized the priority of cross-border cooperation (in particular, in the context of decentralization and administrative-territorial reform) and stressed the need to make efforts in several key areas.
“There are enough tools, the other thing is how to use these tools. First, it is crucial to address the personnel issue through a significant increase in the professional level of specialists at all levels – from a separate territorial community to the relevant ministries, as well as in compliance with the principle of continuity. Secondly, as a strategic and methodological basis for the preparation and implementation of projects at the local and regional levels, it is necessary to take into account the Decrees of the President of Ukraine No. 111 “On Challenges and Threats to the National Security of Ukraine in the Environmental Sphere and Priority Measures to Neutralize Them” and No. 225 “On the Human Development Strategy,” said Serhiy Hrynevetskyi.
At the same time, the head of the regional state administration noted that the provisions of the “Concept of the State Target Regional Program for the Development of the Ukrainian Danube Region for 2014-2017” should be taken into account and even updated.
Separately, the head of the Odesa Regional State Administration, Serhiy Hrynevetskyi, emphasized the need to comprehensively address the urgent socio-economic, sanitary and environmental problems (including environmental cleanup and waste management) of the unique zones of the Lower Danube Region, in particular, in the city of Vilkovo and the Danube Plains Biosphere Reserve, at the legislative level – through the involvement of MPs elected from the Odesa region, with proper comprehensive documentary support for this legislative initiative at every stage (from substantiation to implementation).
During the meeting, Veniamin Unguryan, a deputy of the Odesa Oblast Council, informed Olha Stefanishyna that the Odesa Oblast Council had approved the Program for the Implementation of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region in Odesa Oblast for 2020-2022 and was currently updating it to reflect the implementation of decentralization and the formation of new ideas for strategic projects.
Ihor Studennikov, Executive Director of the Center for Regional Studies, member of the Executive Committee of the Danube Civil Society Forum, spoke about the existing experience in the effective use of financial instruments in the implementation of the EUSDR in the Ukrainian part of the Danube Region.
Liliana Ivanova, Director of the Association of Local Governments “EU Strategy for the Danube Region”, informed about the current participation of Ukrainian communities in cross-border projects and their readiness for new program periods. Liliana Ivanova.
Serhiy Kaptalan, Director of the Lower Danube Region Cross-Border Cooperation Agency, presented a vision of the possibilities for developing cross-border cooperation as one of the drivers for overcoming the post-coronavirus crisis.
In his speech, Valentyn Volkanov, a deputy of the regional council, emphasized the importance of solving environmental problems in the region using the tools of the Danube Strategy.
Matviy Ivanov, Mayor of Vilkovo, and Natalia Todorova, Mayor of Safianivka, spoke about the priority issues related to the life of communities that require special attention and additional financial instruments.
Summarizing the important conversation, both the Vice Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Olha Stefanishyna and the Head of the Odesa Regional State Administration Serhiy Hrynevetskyi expressed their conviction that the presidency of the European Strategy for the Danube Region gives both Ukraine and Odesa Oblast a chance to strengthen their role as a regional leader.