Hungary’s government on Wednesday approved the first projects under the EU’s Danube Region Strategy, said Zoltán Kovács, state secretary in charge of government communications.

The 23 projects include ones involving river regulation to better deal with droughts, renovation of environmental school campsites, and building fast-track railways along the river, Kovács said. The projects will be funded by the European Union. The macro-regional development strategy for the Danube was a priority of Hungary’s European Presidency earlier this year.

The Danube Strategy, adopted by member states in June, covers eight EU states and six states outside the bloc. Its main aim is to promote cooperation between the states involved and to aid sustainable economic development.