Sustainable Energy for the Danube Region

Olga SvitákováMinistry of Industry and TradeCzech Republic

To encourage more sustainable energy

Sustainable Energy for the Danube Region

EUSDR Priority Area 2:To encourage more sustainable energy

Olga Svitáková, Coordinator of the PA2



Sustainable energy within the concept of EUSDR

Macro-regional strategy for the Danube region prepared by the European Commission and approved by European Council in June 2011 Implementation of integrated approach towards the specific needs of the Danube Region countries

Action Plan – four pillars (goals) – core of the Strategy:A. Connecting the Danube RegionB. Protecting the Environment in the Danube RegionC. Building Prosperity in the Danube RegionD. Strengthening the Danube Region




Connecting the Danube Region (Pillar A)Focused on transport, energy and culture/ tourism issuesTo improve connectivity within the Danube Region and with the rest of Europe, in terms of infrastructures, systems and people3 priority areas of improvement through the Strategy:

To improve mobility and multimodalityTo encourage more sustainable energyTo promote culture and tourism, people to people contacts




Actions to meet the objectives of the respective areasSupports the Europe 2020 Strategy priorities from the energy point of view:

Smart growth - better transport and energy infrastructures are conditions for innovationSustainable growth - supports reduction of energy consumption, increase of renewable energy to make it more environmentally friendly and efficientInclusive growth - energy can be made more secure and affordable

Decisive factor – integrated (bottom-up) approach, starting from below (regions Europe)



Participating countries

14 participating countries:8 EU members:

Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Romania6 Non-EU Members:

Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Montenegro, Moldova, Ukraine



Main Energy Targets for EUSDR

The targets are in compliance with EU energy prioritiesElaborate further the overarching European energy policy goals based on the Energy 2020 goals 'a strategy for competitive, sustainable and secure energy' with special attention to the energy infrastructure priorities for 2020 and beyond and to work towards the completion of the energy internal market; the non Member States are aspiring to achieving these goals.

Mainly focused on:

Achievement of national targets based on the Europe 2020 climate and energy targets.Remove existing bottlenecks in energy transport in countries of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region in order to allow reverse flow of gas by 2015.Strengthen cooperation of the Energy Community countries with international financial institutions to upgrade the EC countries’ energy infrastructure and energy markets by 2015.

The targets are already elaborated into concrete actions



Governance of EUSDR

Steering Group meetings:2 meetings so far:

1st Steering Group kick-off meeting – Budapest, June 23, 2011:2nd Steering Group meeting – Prague, October 27, 20113rd Steering Group meeting – Budapest, February 23, 20124th Steering Group meeting - under preparation – May/June, 2012



Governance of EUSDR

Participation in Steering Groups:

Emb – Embassy representative only BY - Bavaria

AT BIH BG CZ DE HR HU MD MNE RS SK SI RO UA

1st SG Meeting on 23 June 2011 Emb x x x x x Emb x Emb Emb Emb

2nd SG Meeting on 27 October 2011 x x x(BY) x x x x

3rd SG Meeting on 23 February 2012 x x x x x x x x



Governance of EUSDR

2nd Steering Group meeting – Prague, October 27, 2011:Selecting the Danube projectsStatistics concerning projects submitted during the 2nd Steering Group meeting:

COUNTRY PROJECTS SUBMITTED

ONGOING PLANNED

BULGARIA 15 6 9HUNGARY 17 17 1MOLDOVA 2 1 1CROATIA 7 2 5SLOVAKIA 9 3 6

TOTAL 51 29 22



Energy projects relatingto target areas

Selected projects and L/Rs:3 planned energy infrastructure projects:

Bulgaria-Serbia Gas Interconnector (submitted by Bulgaria)Bulgaria-Romania Energy Markets Coupling (submitted by Bulgaria) Slovakia-Hungary Interconnector (Submitted by Slovakia)

Typical existing projects:Sustainable energy (biogas, geothermal energy use)




Typical projects:

Infrastructure interconnection (transmission lines, gas interconnection)Sustainable energy (biogas, geothermal energy use)




Czech project:Ostrava Smart City Initiative

The project has typical features of Danube Strategy project, model project: Resolves complex issues of energy effectiveness in the Ostrava region - consistent

with the objectives of Energy 2020 Strategy Solves problems of polluted areas with the environmental burden of past Complex in terms of project funding (City of Ostrava, EU, Czech government,

private sector partners) Currently submitted in SET Plan - science, research, innovation Model project for the cooperation of other similar cities and regions in Danube

Region It shall be submitted for consideration on February 23, 2012 during SG meeting



Meeting of PAC and NCPin Bucharest 30.-31.1.2012

Dealt with the most significant issues related to the smooth progress and further development of the Danube Strategy

ProjectsFundingGovernance, reporting and communication



Follow-up of Meeting of PAC and NCP in Bucharest 30.-31.1.2012

ProjectsDevelopment of new project with added value for the Danube RegionModel project – possibilities for repeated actionsMultiplication effect – impact on economic development and growth of Danube RegionHorizontal energy solution – EE, networks, transport, etc.




FundingNo new funds – basic principleMobilization of all existing funds

Cohesion and Structural Funds7th FP for R&DSpecial fund for South-East Europe (Transnational cooperation program)

Combination of national and EU funding




Governance, reporting and communicationStrengthen the role of coordinators of priority areas (PACS)Develop national network for strategy implementation

Cooperation among national government and local authoritiesInvolvement of specialized agencies, associations, chambers, etc.

The first progress report on implementation of the Action Plan – June 2012



Next steps and activities in 2012

23 February: Budapest – Steering group priority area 222 March: Vienna – 1st dialogue on EUSDR financing23 – 24 April: Berlin – HLG to the Baltic and Danube Strategy31 May: Budapest – Stakeholder seminar for PA2Preparation of Annual Report 26 – 27 November: Regensburg – 1st Annual forum of EUSDR



Links to EUSDR

European Commission – EU Strategy for the Danube Region:ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/cooperate/danube/index_en.cfm E-mail: [email protected]

Interact - EU Strategy for the Danube Region :www.interact-eu.net/danube_region_strategy/danube_strategy/285/3928

Office of the Government of the Czech Republic, Section of European Affairs, European Policy Coordination Department: http://www.vlada.cz/cz/evropske-zalezitosti/evropske-politiky/podunajska-strategie/podunajska-strategie-87555/E-mail: [email protected]

Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic:http://www.mpo.cz/dokument100552.html



Thank you for your attention

Olga Svitáková, PA2 [email protected]

Documents

Sustainable Energy for the Danube Region