The 15th Annual Forum of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR), held on 3-4 November 2026 in Sofia, Bulgaria, brought together representatives of European institutions, national governments, regional and local authorities, civil society, academia and young people to discuss the future of cooperation across the Danube Region. Organised under the Bulgarian EUSDR Presidency, the Forum was officially opened by Bulgaria’s Deputy Prime Minister, Atanas Pekanov, who emphasised the importance of joint action in addressing shared challenges.
The two-day programme explored transport connectivity, skills and local economic development, water management, climate resilience and security. Discussions also addressed the role of small and medium-sized cities in balanced territorial development and the future of cohesion policy and transnational cooperation beyond 2027.
Ahead of the official opening, ministers responsible for regional development met and adopted the Sofia Danube Declaration. The declaration calls for stronger integration of macro-regional priorities into future European policies and funding instruments and highlights the role of Interreg programmes in delivering shared objectives. Its emphasis on cooperation across borders and joint responses to climate challenges is particularly relevant to initiatives working to protect the Danube’s shared natural heritage.
For the Danube WILDisland Ramsar Regional Initiative, a special highlight was the screening of a dedicated video alongside films showcasing other EUSDR Flagship Initiatives. Filmed this summer in Donau-Auen National Park in Austria and featuring our colleague Elena Kmetova-Biro, the video introduces the Initiative and its ambition to bring together ten Danube countries to protect river islands as a living corridor.
The screening offered an opportunity to bring the Danube’s islands and their ecological importance to the attention of a broad regional audience, showing how cooperation can support the protection of habitats that connect countries along the river.
We warmly thank EUSDR for producing the video for the Initiative and helping to share its vision with the wider Danube community. We look forward to making the video available to everyone soon!
The Forum concluded with the ceremonial handover of the EUSDR Presidency from Bulgaria to Croatia. Croatia’s Presidency will officially run from 1 January to 31 December 2027, focusing on security and resilience, improved connectivity and support for the EU enlargement process.