On 30 June – 1 July Foster Europe hosted the first General Assembly of the Danube Civil Society Forum, DCSF, foreseen in the EUSDR action plan as an action under pillar 4, at the Esterházy Castle in Eisenstadt/Kismarton, Austria.

More than 100 NGO representatives and guests from all 14 participating countries convened to establish the DCSF. Danuta Hübner, MEP addressed the DCSF General Assembly with her opening speech. The DCSF will be the platform for civil society dialogue and networking in the Danube basin under the EU Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR). It will function as the interface for structured consultations between civil society and public and private authorities on the regional, national and EU level as well as to international and intergovernmental organisations active in the region. The DCSF is dedicated to support civil society organisations in the Danube basin. It aims to promote and enhance civil society participation and networking in the framework of the European Union Strategy for the Danube Region. 

The DCSF will work in four working groups, mirroring the four pillars of the EUSDR as well as inspecific thematic or regional sub-working groups. In Eisenstadt the DCSF adopted its statutes and elected its Executive Committee consisting of the chairs of the four working groups, a Treasurer, a Vice President and a President. Civil society participation and consultation should be mainstreamed throughout the EUSDR and its implementation, steering and revision processes. The EUSDR action plan set high standards in demanding participation of civil society on all levels of the Danube Strategy. The DCSF calls on all stakeholders in the EUSDR, especially those responsible for the implementation of the EUSDR to keep up with the high standards of the action plan demanding participation of civil society.