Milestones in Danube Transnational Programme preparation

The next Danube Transnational Programme (DTP2) is being prepared as in 2020 our Association has been commissioned again by the Managing Authority and the Joint Secretariat (MA/JS). These tasks are going to be financed by the annual operating grant from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade similarly to the previous year.

As we reported earlier, CESCI has written the Territorial Analysis for the Danube region in 2019, which can be considered as one of the first steps of the above mentioned programming process. The Territorial Analysis gave an exhaustive list of the cohesion challenges relevant to the next transnational programme.

The further development of the Territorial Analysis will be our task this year: we need to develop a Territorial Strategy, which, given the identified challenges, considers the territorial relevance of each thematic area, relevant actors’ opinions and beliefs regarding the next programme and the regulatory/policy framework of the planning process. We need to synthesize the strategy as an intersection of these three factors. During the programming process, the strategy could be a bridge connecting the territorial evidence based findings of the Territorial Analysis and the construction of the next programme within the boundaries of the policy environment, seeking prevailment of the territorial impacts in the new programme.

The methodology of this task is currently being finalized with the Managing Authority, the Joint Secretariat (MA/JS) and the Task Force. The largest player is expected to be incorporated (using online surveys) during April and May. The first strategy, containing preliminary results, available for comments, will be put together by July. The final Territorial Strategy is expected to be finished in October.