With the aim to achieve a higher degree of territorial integration of the very heterogeneous Danube region, the Danube Transnational Programme acts as a policy driver and pioneer to tackle common challenges and needs in specific policy fields. Most of these common challenges and needs can be better faced joining forces through transnational cooperation. In this sense, the Danube Transnational Programme itself, its stakeholders and the present and potential partner institutions need to have a thorough knowledge of the Danube region to be reflected into innovative projects with successful results.

Taking that purpose in mind, the programme bodies have planned to organise a series of annual events focused on specific themes relevant for the Danube region and to be addressed in the DTP calls for proposals. A specific theme covering several thematic priorities of the programme will be selected every year. The thematically-focused annual events aim to become a forum to stimulate discussion on the selected theme with the help of experts, programme stakeholders, interested institutions and organisations, potential applicants and project partners. This forum will allow a better preparation of future calls, fostered innovative proposals, better implementation of projects and more capitalisation opportunities.

In the 2016 edition of the DTP Annual Event, the selected theme is ‘Transnational management, use and valorisation of water related resources’. The theme is reflected in the event title: BLUE DANUBE - Danube Transnational Programme: Key instrument for supporting water as a transnational resource. The event will take place on 29th September in Bucharest, being Romania the charing country of the programme this year.

The thematic issues of interest for DTP, namely those in relation to ‘Transnational management, use and valorisation of water related resources’, will be explained and promoted during the event, providing a platform for networking opportunities, exchanging best practices and experience and building partnerships between the main programme stakeholders and other actors in the Danube region.

The selected 2016 theme is conceived from an integrated perspective interlinked with the four priority axes of the Danube Transnational Programme. The environmental side of this theme will be covered in detail during the event workshops, but other aspects of water management will be tackled as well, such as:

1. Innovative solutions for Transnational Water Management
2. Transnational Water Management for a sustainable future
3. Environmentally-friendly transport systems: waterborne transport
4. Transnational governance and harmonisation of policies for Water Management

Concerning the format, a general session about the Danube Transnational Programme and how it tackles the selected theme will be followed by parallel workshops covering different aspects of Transnational Water Management. The event participants will have the opportunity to join one of the parallel workshops organised by the JS members along with thematic experts. A joint summary of all the workshops conclusions will be produced and published in the DTP website right after the event. A portfolio of all annual event conclusions will be produced at the end of the programming period.

During the 2016 Annual Event BLUE DANUBE - Danube Transnational Programme: Key instrument for supporting water as a transnational resource, programme stakeholders and potential partners, representing national, regional and local authorities, and other actors, will have the opportunity to meet, share their visions for the programme area and propose project ideas.