Macroregional strategy
Macroregional strategies aim to tackle shared challenges encountered within a specific geographical area. These challenges are relevant to both Member States and third countries situated in that particular region. Through fostering stronger cooperation, these strategies foster economic, social, and territorial cohesion, benefiting all participating entities and contributing to their overall development.
Macro-regional strategies serve as open and agile platforms for strategic networking. They help to coordinate joint policies and actions far beyond physical or psychological barriers. Consequently, these strategies imbue cooperation with purpose, bolstering the resilience and appeal of macro-regions as desirable places to live, fostering strength and attractiveness universally.
To date, the European Union has adopted four macro-regional strategies, encompassing various policies:
Our macroregional strategy: EUSAIR
The IPA ADRION Programme is closely linked with the European Union Strategy for the Adriatic-Ionian Region (EUSAIR) because it shares the same geographical area and most of its policy objectives. EUSAIR was formally adopted by the European Commission and endorsed by the European Council in 2014.
The strategy involves ten countries: four EU Member States (Greece, Croatia, parts of Italy, Slovenia), five candidate countries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, and North Macedonia), and a third country, San Marino.
The EUSAIR objectives are:
- Supporting the integration of the Western Balkans;
- Providing political and financial support to foster good neighbourly relations in the region;
- Supporting regional cooperation, to boost economic development, improve connectivity, and enhance security;
- Promoting shared values and the unity in diversity of the rich cultural heritage of the macro-region;
- Supporting the development of sustainable tourism and its ecosystems in one of Europe’s most popular destinations;
EUSAIR is a tool to promote cooperation and address social, economic, and territorial disparities within the Adriatic-Ionian macro-region. Its primary objective is to foster cohesion by reducing disparities and promoting collaboration among the participating entities.
The IPA ADRION programme primarily supports the implementation of the EUSAIR. This alignment is achieved by incorporating EUSAIR “flagships” into the designated indicative actions of the selected Specific Objective. Furthermore, the IPA ADRION programme contributes to the governance and implementation of the EUSAIR through its Interreg Specific Objective ISO1.
For further information on EUSAIR please visit the EUSAIR website: https://www.adriatic-ionian.eu/