The 7th Annual Forum of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region, taking place on 18-19 October 2018 in Sofia, is jointly organized by Bulgaria (current Presidency of the EUSDR) and the European Commission. Under the title ‘Culture and Tourism Boosting Growth in the Danube Region’ the main focus of the event will be on tourism development as a precondition to economic growth and territorial cohesion.

The Annual Forum will cover topics of particular importance for the Danube region related to preservation of cultural and historical heritage, new technologies, and digitalization in the tourism sector, ensuring safety and security in tourism, transport connectivity and mobility. Issues related to synergy and consistency between macro-regional strategies for achieving the common objectives of the EU and for the future of those strategies after 2020 will also be referred to. Two parallel thematic sessions on sustainable tourism mobility and security in public spaces and an open-air exhibition have been scheduled as well.

The registration process for the 7th Annual Forum has opened on 1 August 2018.

In the frameworks of its Enlargement & Integration Initiative, the Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission is offering pre-paid travel and accommodation to researchers/experts from Albania, Bosnia and Hercegovina, FYROM, Montenegro, Serbia, Kosovo*, Turkey, Armenia, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine to participate in the event. The support covering travel expenses and accommodation will be granted on the basis of the following criteria:

• Scientific and professional achievements (in particular related to culture, tourism, role new technologies and digitalization in tourism, ensuring safety and security in tourism, transport connectivity, and mobility, regional and macro-regional growth)
• Number and quality of scientific and professional publications;
• Number and quality of projects and activities (related to the Danube macro-region) the applicant has participated in an on-going projects and actions.

To apply please send, before 6 September 2018 to the following address: /">

• your biography (not more than two pages)
• motivation letter including a list of scientific and professional publications and a list of projects and activities (related to the Danube macro-region) you have participated in and on-going projects and actions.

Regarding the processing of your personal data in line with this event, JRC informs you that when sending your expression of interest, JRC considers you agree to the PRIVACY STATEMENT for processing of personal data related to the selection of experts. Collection and processing of personal data are under the responsibility of the Controller, the Unit Head of JRC A3 Interinstitutional, International Relations & Outreach in the Joint Research Centre.

*This designation is without prejudice to positions on status and is in line with UNSC 1244 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence