The Danube Summit first convened in June 2002 in Constantza and was attended by 140 delegates from Austria, Netherlands, France, Belgium, Germany, Slovak Republic, Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania and Ukraine. Since then the Danube Summit has been held in Belgrade (2004 - 270 participants); Budapest (2006 - 225 participants) and again in Constantza (June 2008 - 320 participants). The Danube Summit is now the region's primary Conference and Exhibition for the Danube region - a dedicated paltform, bringing together all parties - in both the public and private sectors - involved in the ongoing development of freight transport logistics services and transport infrastructure along the Danube Corridor.

This year's Danube Summit will convene in two Danube river cities - Linz and Enns. The Conference will open at 1pm on the 31 May at the new Oberbank Forum in Linz on the banks of the Danube. At the conclusion of the Day 1 conference sessions, the Port of Enns will host a port visit and evening river trip and reception returning to Linz. The main conference programme will then continue on June 1 and 2, in the Oberbank Forum.

"The Danube Summit is an opportunity to emphasise the economic importance of the Danube Region and show how underused its economic potential is. This Region is an indivisible macro-regional economic unit and its economic actors need to be given opportunity to release that potential and generate growth and prosperity for its inhabitants. The EU Strategy for the Danube Region should support that effort by providing suitable macro-regional cooperation mechanisms." 

Erhard Busek - Chairman - Institute for the Danube Region and Central Europe   www.idm.at