CHARTER

THE BRIDGE - LIFELINE DANUBE CHARTER

An outstanding result at the final conference in Györ was the signing of a common BRIDGE - Lifeline Danube charter by the mayors, city councillors, administrative offi-cials, university professors and students participating in the conference. The aim was to establish the project institutionally, which was an effective step in public for the implementation of further transnational solutions. The charter is based on international documents like the local AGENDA 21 and the European Spatial Development Concept.

 

BRIDGE - Lifeline Danube Charter

On the basis of preceding documents, in particular of:
  • the UN Conferencen Environment and development (Rio 1992),
     EU legislation on environment
     the local AGENDA 21,
  • the European Spatial Development Perspective (ESDP),

    the cities of Deggendorf, Passau. Linz, Krems, Wien, Bratislava, Györ and Budapest as well as the Marktgemeinde Ottensheim have decided upon transnational cooperation along the Danube. Within the framework of the community initiative INTERREG IIC and co-financed by PHARE, representatives of research institutes, of universities and public administration have realized the BRIDGE - Lifeline Danube project together. Germany, Austria, Slovakia and Hungary have been the participating countries.

    The question of the sustainable development oft the Danube region - our common living space - require intensive cooperation especially in the fields of ecology, economy, society and culture. It is politi-cians, administrative staff, university teachers and students, planners and citicens who are expected to cooperate with each other.

    Signing this charter, we recommend the following principles:

      • to create an open network for the sustainable development in the entire Danube region thereby including the countries of the Yugoslav Federation, of Romania, Bulgaria and Moldavia that are not yet participants;
         to contribute towards a common spatial development concept for the entire Danube region on the basis of the European Spatial Development Perspective;
         to promote a common approach for the sustainable spatial development in municipalities, cities and regions along the Danube thereby focusing on the cooperation in and between urban-suburban areas;
         to support so-called best-practice-models for the benefit of sustainable projects;
         to promote transdisciplinary research and development;
         to disseminate the results of the cooperation mentioned above (see points 1-5) within the process of the local AGENDA 21;
      • to establish permanent cooperation.

    Conference BRIDGE Lifeline Danube Györ, November 17th 2000

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    In the meantime, the charter has also been signed by the mayors of Linz and Krems.