High Level Stakeholders Event

Special Guests & Speakers (provisional list)

• Charlina VITCHEVA – General Director DG MARE, European Commission
• Oliver HILLEL, MBA – United Nation Expert , member of ICLEI – Local Government for Sustainability & IKI – International Climate Initiative
• Prof. univ. dr. Francois BEDARD – Director of the World Centre for Excellence of Destinations – CED (Montreal)
• Prof. univ. dr. habil Eric GILDER – Coordinator of the CIO-SUERD Scientific Advisory Council
• Demostene OLARIU – International Organization for Democracy and Human Rights – IODHR Norway (Oslo)
• Prof. Arhur TEODORESCU – Bruxelles
• Dragoș Cosmin Lucian PREDA – ex-Secretary of State – MTIC
• Carola FREY, Political Analyst – Euro-Atlantic Resilience Centre (E-ARC)
• Consilier Gabriel MINEA – Department of Sustainable Development of the Romanian Government
• Dr. Valentin PANAIT – EUSDR Office – Ministry of Foreign Affairs
• Dr. Costin LIANU – EUSDR Consultative Council / USH Pro Business 
• Associated Professor Gabriel RAICU – Vice-Rector, Maritime University of Constanta
• Dr. Cristina GÂRLEA – Researcher, Romanian Academy  
• Urb. Dr. Sabina DIMITRIU – President of the Professional Association of Urban Planners from Romania

Moderator: Assoc. Prof. Sever AVRAM – General Coordinator CIO-SUERD
Amphitryon: Dr. Costin LIANU – Secretary General – EUSDR Consultative Council – Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs / USH Pro Business 

Roadmap including the Set of Suggestions, Proposals and the Recommendations regarding the Sustainable and Inclusive Development through the Interconnecting Ways and Mechanisms between Rhine Region, Danube-Black Sea Basin – Port of Constantza

MOTTO: ”In the next two decades, we could enjoy of en extraordinary momentum

that the World more profoundly consider at the Black Sea, the ”soft belly”

which has to be strengthened by the Western System.”- Cristian GROSU.

This year, the Forum ”A new innovative partnership for the benefit of recovery, resilience, sustainable reconstruction of the Danube River – Black Sea eco-system”, will take place in the context of marking the European Maritime Day in Romania 2023, under the aegis of the European Commission – DG MARE, as well as with the main support of the Center Européen Robert Schuman. Unfortunately, this forum will be deployed in a context of multiple overlapping crises on our continent.

However, there is even more need for a rethinking and the ability to firmly and wisely act, especially  under coordination of the Romanian State and the other involved stakeholders, in view of preparing for the economic recovery after the end of the war in Ukraine. Also, this should happen from the perspective of the new smart approach regarding the intelligent transnational co-operation through a profitable interconnection between the Rhine – Danube Region, Black Sea – Constantza Port.

All these desiderata may become tangible and profitable only in strict accordance with the objectives and commitments assumed by the E.U. Charter for the Mission “Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030” within the “Horizon Europe” Programme. All motivated participants from the Forum are invited to adhere to this initiative of the European Commission, in order to enjoy the related benefits possible through the strategic partnerships in favor of the innovation launched in 2022.

Taking into account this new dramatic context, which we are facing in the region, the International Honorary Chair in support of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region (CIO-SUERD), imperatively requests the establishment of a Road-Map, to be adopted through the consensus obtained by the relevant representatives of the civil society and of the academic and business environments, and has to contain the following set of strictly imperiously needed components:

1. The enrichment and improving of the legislative and administrative framework, especially at the level of Romania, in view of the reintegration into the economic and tourist flow of as many areas and objectives as possible in a coherent, coordinated and unitary manner;

2. The awareness process according to the fact that the majority of related problems are related from areas and tributaries rivers of the Danube, including the problems of the upper Danube, refocusing the approach on these areas and moving to smart measures regarding: navigability, tourism, biodiversity conservation, the promotion of the hospitality brands, digitalization and so on;

3. Taking into account that EUSDR is mainly focused on the sustainable development, but also inclusive urban innovation, according to EU concepts, the transition to a process of territorial planning and urban standardization in a more accelerated rhytm, in tandem with the relevant cross-border partners;

4. Connecting to the dynamics of the projects and results already achieved through the real and effective implementation of the Danube Transnational Program (DTP), the promotion of a new multi-level governance system, of “open coordination”, of other innovative forms of collaborative leadership, already successfully tested in other Danube States and of the Black Sea Basin;

5. The starting operations and the expansion of the structured consultations at national and European level, periodically, especially for a reintegration of the Port and of the Municipality of Constantza, as a flagship area, in favor of the necessary changes and the recovery of the desired place by Constantza and the entire region of historical Dobrogea and Danube Delta at the level of maritime public policies and blue industries;

6. The emphasize on the inclusive approach from the perspective of reducing the social gaps, implementing in a more curageus way of the social innovation vectors, of the transparency decision-making process and of the fight against corruption in all key sectors;

7. The most pragmatic rethinking of the territorial planning and cooperation process, especially through transnational projects, leading to more stability and prosperity for as many citizens as possible.

In essence, we consider it vitally necessary that the European institutions, in particular the European Commission – DG MARE, in collaboration with the high-level representatives of the Member States from the targeted cooperation region, from now have to act, in a much more decisive and coherent way regarding the achievement of an increasing cadence in order to fulfill the predicted bold objectives in the transformative project of EUSDR and according to the new guidelines resulting from the urgent necessity to adopt the Black Sea Strategy, to which all the Member States of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization (BSEC), in close consultation with the stakeholders of the Rhine region.

For conformity,

Prof. Assoc. Sever AVRAM

on the behalf of the Organising Consortium of the ” European Maritime Day in Romania 2023” –

EUSDR International Honorary Chair”Jean Bart” (CIO-SUERD) – c/o EUROLINK-House of Europe