Sustainable Tourism Law

SUSTAINABLE TOURISM DEVELOPMENT IN THE DANUBE REGION 695 European Tourism” (COM (2006) 134 final); Communication from the Commission on an “Agenda for a sustainable and competitive European tourism” (COM (2007) 621 final), Communication from the Commission on “Europe, the world’s No 1 tourist destination – a new political framework for tourism in Europe” (COM (2010) 352 final), Communication on a European Strategy for more Growth and Jobs in Coastal and Maritime Tourism (COM (2014) 86 final). At the macro-regional level, European Council endorsed the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR) in 2009 27 , EU Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR) in 2011 28 , EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region (EUSAIR) in 2014 29 and EU Strategy for the Alpine Region (EUSALP) in 2016 30 . The aim of this article is to reflect on the legal and policy framework for sustainable tourism in Danube region, putting focus on the EUSDR and accompanying Action Plan (COM (2010) 715 final) 31 . II. LEGAL AND POLICY FRAMEWORK FOR SUSTAINABLE TOURISM IN THE DANUBE REGION The Danube River Basin 32 is characterized by diverse development perspectives, especially in the new framework of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region 27 Conclusions of the General Affairs and External Relations Council, 27 October 2009 and Conclusions of the European Council, 29-30 October 2009. 28 Conclusions of the General Affairs Council, 13 April 2011 and Conclusions of the European Council, 23-24 June 2011. 29 Conclusions of the General Affairs Council, 29 September 2014 and Conclusions of the European Council, 23-24 October 2014. 30 Conclusions of Council, 27 November 2015 and the European Council, 28 June 2016. 31 Numerous documents complementing the EUSDR and accompanying Action Plan have been adopted at the EU level so far, such as: Council Conclusions (2011) on the EUSDR, Commission Report (2013) on the added value of macro-regional strategies, Council Conclusions (2013) on the added value of macro-regional strategies, Commission Report (2013) concerning the EUSDR, Commission Report (2014) on the governance of macro- -regional strategies, Joint Statement (2014) of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the EUSDR, Council Conclusions (2014) on the governance of macro-regional strategies, Joint Statement (2015) of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the EUSDR, Joint Statement (2015) of Ministers in charge of EU Funds, European Affairs or European Integration, Joint Statement (2016) of Ministers responsible for Research and Innovation, Commission Report (2016) on the implementation of EU macro-regional strategies, Council Conclusions (2017) on the implementation of macro- -regional strategies. Available at: http://www.danube-region.eu/about/key-documents. 32 Geographically Danube River Basin concerns primarily but not exclusively: Germany, Austria, the Slovak Republic, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovenia, Romania, Bulgaria and Croatia within the EU, and Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine (the regions along the Danube) outside. With over 100million people, and a fifth of EU surface, the area is vital for Europe. See: Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, The Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions, European Union Strategy for Danube Region, Brussels, 8.12.2010, COM(2010) 715 final, p. 3.