At a conference in Vienna, 27 may 2002, the riparian countries of the Danube river (see the countries listed in § 1 of the attached declaration) have engaged in a comprehensive Danube Co-operation Process in the fields of navigation, environment, economy, culture, tourism and sub regional activities, including Euro regions.

The origins of the Danube co-operation process go back to early 2001,when an initiative of the Special Co-ordinator of the Stability Pact for a Danube conference was taken up and moved forward by Romania and Austria with the active support of the EU Commission. The Co-operation Process launched today is a process of informal political co-operation making best use of existing structures and co-ordinating the efforts of the various countries and institutions already engaged in the Danube region. On behalf of the 4 initiators, Foreign Minister Benita Ferrero-Waldner (Austria), Prime Minister Adrian Nastase (Romania), Commissioner Chris Patten (EU Commission), and Special Co-ordinator Erhard Busek (Stability Pact) made it clear that no new bureaucratic structures are envisaged, but that the political support demonstrated at the Vienna conference are to be the driving forces for the Danube Co-operation Process.

• Declaration on the Establishment of the Danube Co-operation Process
• Stability Pact Activities in the Danube Region