Budapest Danube Contact Point: an innovative tool to support the implementation of Danube Strategy

Peter Kiss-ParciuBudapest Danube Contact PointEU Strategy for the Danube Region

5 June, 2013

Challenges in macro-regional project development and implementation

• Large number of institutions and stakeholders ▫ acting on the national and international stages ▫ with various different objectives and responsibilities

• Segregated project development ▫ infrastructure projects harmonized by andministrative agreements▫ lack of common and coordinated project development

• Delayed project implementation ▫ insufficient knowledge of the respective national and EU procedures and the acquis▫ lack of project and concept harmonization in particular in the transnational context▫ lack of financial engineering and cash flow management▫ lack of conceptual/strategic thinking in particular on the interdisciplinary side▫ lack of comprehensive approach including the project and sector setup, the infrastructure, the legal environment and the operations

Danube Strategy offers great opportunities for the 2014-2020 programming period; however, creating macro-regional added value in the form of tangible projects is a great challenge

• A large number of institutions and other stakeholders are acting on the national and the international stages with various different objectives and responsibilities. Therefore it is rational not to introduce additional administrative layers, which add to the complexity of distribution of tasks and responsibilities, but to act as a facilitator for the relevant stakeholders.

• In particular larger projects in the transnational context suffer from a segregated project development. Infrastructure projects are largely harmonized by administrative agreements, which set the targets and the time schedule for further development. Often problems could be avoided by common and coordinated project development.

• The experience with current and previous programming periods shows that project development and project implementation is delayed for various reasons (insufficient knowledge of the respective national and EU procedures and the acquis communautaire; lack of project and concept harmonization in particular in the transnational context; lack of financial engineering and cash flow management; lack of conceptual/strategic thinking in particular on the interdisciplinary side; lack of comprehensive approach including the project and sector setup, the infrastructure, the legal environment and the operations, etc.)

The start of the Budapest Danube Contact Point (BDCP)

Endorsement of the EUSDR by MS – 13 April, 2011

Memorandum of Understanding signed betwen the Government of Hungary and the European Investment Bank – 20 June, 2011

Start of the pilot secondment of the EIB to the BDCP – 12 April, 2012

Official start of the BDCP – 1 July, 2012

What is the BDCP?

Organization of international experts promoting the macro-regional approach by supporting large scale

financeable and implementable projects and concepts in the framework of the EUSDR, primarily in

the energy, environment and transport sectors

Organization

Basic principles of the BDCP

• Works in the framework of the EUSDR• Cooperates with Priority Area Coordinators/Steering Groups,

project promoters, other EUSDR stakeholders • Offers a „smart tool” for large scale concepts and projects • Promotes a transnational and integrated approach • to create macro-regional added value• Avoids any additional management or administrative level • Acts as a motivator and facilitator to help the existing

stakeholders • Acts as a financing expert

Services Offered – I. Steering Groups

Project identification Project prioritization and selection Reality check and needs assessment Using EIB/JASPERS technical support Involving stakeholders Planning the financing of selected actions Promoting the macro-regional approach

Services offered – II. Project promoters

Financibility and implementability check Assigning optimal financing structure and developing roadmap for financing Using EIB/JASPERS technical expertise Strategic project monitoring Stakeholder involvement and coordination Capitalizing on EUSDR framework!

Temporary experts in the BDCP• All EUSDR countries are invited to second experts (so far BW and UA)• Office space and infrastructure provided• Travel, accomodation and daily allowance provided for 6-12 week

periods to non-EU experts• ToR for secondment developed in cooperation with the sending

institution • The experts:

Facilitate selected projects/concepts Identify and promote new macro-regional initiatives Involve stakeholders from the country of origin Facilitate coordination between country of origin and other EUSDR countries Facilitate financing in the country of origin Create macro-regional added value!

Example of a macro-regional project supported by the BDCP: The Upper-Tisza flood management programme

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!

BUDAPEST DANUBE CONTACT POINTMinistry of Foreign Affairs of Hungary

pkissparciu@mfa.gov.hu