The Commission has opened a public consultation on the European Strategy for the Danube. Based on the strategy in the Baltic Sea Region, it is available until March 31.

The public consultation on the European Strategy for the Danube is now on-line. Open until 31 March 2010, the European Commission is inviting all interested parties to take part. This consultation is designed to provide opportunity for stakeholders to feed in views to help shape the Commission's plans on the Strategy.

Building on the positive experience of the first 'macro-regional' strategy in the Baltic Sea Region, this latest initiative seeks to develop the huge economic potential of Europe's longest river, and improve environmental conditions in and around the wider Danube region.

The ongoing consultation process will continue until early summer. Following the consultation launch in Ulm (Germany) on 2 February, further discussion events are planned for Hungary at the end of February, Austria and Slovakia (April), Bulgaria (May), Romania (June). The Commission will propose an Action Plan and a governance system in December 2010, scheduled for discussion and likely endorsement by EU Member States in early 2011.