The 9th annual forum of the EU Strategy for the Adriatic-Ionian Region (EUSAIR) is taking place today in Šibenik, Croatia. The annual forum provides policymakers and stakeholders with an opportunity to reflect on how Cohesion Policy funds are benefiting Europe’s Adriatic-Ionian regions, and how the regions can address common challenges together through shared, long-term objectives.
- 15 May 2024
Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms Elisa Ferreira will participate via video message, with other participants including Croatian Ministers Gordan Grlić Radman, for Foreign and European Affairs, Šime Erlić, for Regional Development and EU Funds, and Nikolina Brnjac, for Tourism and Sport.
Main topics of discussion include ways to optimise the implementation of Cohesion Policy during the 2021-2027 programming period, the revision of the Strategy, and looking ahead to the future. During the forum, the EUSAIR presidency will also be handed over from Croatia to Greece, a presidency rotated once a year.
Workshop sessions will cover the region’s needs post-2027, e-governance, social cohesion, agricultural sustainability, and renewable energy, while side events will include the Future of Interreg conference and the 6th Adriatic Ionian Youth Organisations Forum (AIYOF6).
The EUSAIR is one of the EU’s four macro-regional strategies, promoting economic and social prosperity and growth in the region by improving its attractiveness, competitiveness, and connectivity. The Strategy covers Croatia, Greece, Italy, Slovenia, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, North Macedonia, and San Marino.