COOPERATION BETWEEN EUSDR PA5 AND THE CARPATHIAN CONVENTION
Cooperation between EUSDR PA5 and the Carpathian Convention
A Memorandum of Understanding document have been signed by the representatives of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region Priority Area 5 (Environmental risks) and the Carpathian Convention during the 12nd Steering Group Meeting of PA5 in Vienna on the 13rd of December 2017. With the signature of Mr Karoly Gombas (EUSDR PA5 HU PAC), Mr Gheorghe Constantin (EUSDR PA5 RO PAC) and Mr Harald Egerer (Head of Secretariat of the Carpathian Convention) PA5 became the fourth Priority Area of EUSDR after PA1b, PA2 and PA4 which officially declared his willingness for collaboration with the Carpathian Convention.
The parties agreed at the Steering Group Meeting that several overlaping topics (e.g landslides, forest fires, understanding of future climate in order to support climate change adaptation measures) representing their common interest. EUSDR PA5 coordination highly appreciated the amendment of Article12 on Climate Change to the Carpathian Convention adopted at the 5th Conference of the Parties in 2017 under the Hungarian Presidency. The Outlook on Adaptation responses to Climate Change for the Carpathians also has been welcomed by EUSDR PA5.
For a creation of a mutually supportive network both sides strive to strenghten networking on national and sub-national level. The Secretariat of the Carpathian Convention received an Observer role at the EUSDR PA5 Steering Group Meetings and also shall be informed and invited to other events of the priority area. On the other hand EUSDR PA5 Coordinators shall be informed of and invited to relevant Carpathian Convention meetings (Meetings of Working Group on Adaptation to Climate Change, Carpathian Convention Implementation Committee, Conference of the Parties). Key documents (e.g. workplans, draft strategies or guidelines) shall be exchanged.
EUSDR can support measures and actions of joint interest inter alia through taking into account the Carpathian priorities in the facilitation of alignment of funding through Operational Programmes.
The enlargement of the Danube – Carpathian stakeholder and institutional network will enhance and stimulate the project ideas development and set up of different project consortia.
Since the signature of the MoU document Hungarian experts of EUSDR PA4 and PA5 met with the Carpathian Convention Working Group leader on Adaptation to Climate Change. The meeting was held in Budapest on the 23rd of January where the possibilities of collaboration in 2018 have been discussed.
