Connecting Europe Days 2026 | The Danube Ministerial Declaration
29 September 2026 | Brussels — The Transport Ministers of Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Germany, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia and Ukraine respectively their substitutes — signed the Danube Ministerial Declaration during Connecting Europe Days 2026, reaffirming their commitment to closer cooperation and to improving navigation conditions on the Danube.
The signing comes at a particularly important time, with the war in Ukraine highlighting the Danube’s strategic role in European transport connectivity, and extremely low water levels continuing to affect navigation.
The Ministerial Conclusions reaffirm the objective of achieving Good Navigation Status on the Danube, its canals and navigable TEN-T tributaries by 2030, while respecting environmental requirements. Key priorities include effective waterway rehabilitation and maintenance, adapting to changing hydrological conditions, strengthening infrastructure resilience, and closer cooperation between Danube countries and relevant stakeholders.
The DC Secretariat, which was represented by its Director-General at the signing ceremony, welcomes the signing as an important step for co-operation in the Danube region. It remains committed to supporting the DC Member States in taking forward the agreed priorities.
On October 1, at the Rhine-Danube Corridor Forum chaired by European Coordinator Margarida Marques, discussions focused on safeguarding the Danube’s role as a key transport corridor. The Danube Commission reiterated the need to increase infrastructure resilience, predictability, long-term sustainability, and ensure reliable navigation conditions. In his speech, Manfred Seitz, Director-General of the DC SEC, presented concrete ideas on how to adapt the Danube and port infrastructure to the impacts of climate change, with the help of a dedicated Action Plan, the drafting of which is to start at the Danube Commission’s Technical Working Group meeting in early November.
Photo: © European Union / European Commission (DG MOVE)