A New Chapter Begins for the Adriatic and Ionian Region

Unique Collaboration Uniting Ten Countries

Launched in 2014, Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Strategy is one of the EU’s four macro-regional strategies and the only one where EU candidate and potential candidate countries - including Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia - outnumber participating EU Member States (Croatia, Greece, Italy, and Slovenia). With the inclusion of San Marino, the Strategy now spans ten countries and more than 70 million people.

As it enters its second decade, the Strategy is evolving to meet new geopolitical, environmental, and socio-economic realities. The revised Action Plan adopted by the European Commission reflects this evolution. It strengthens the Strategy’s alignment with key EU priorities such as the European Green Deal, Digital Transition, Cohesion Policy, the Long-Term Vision for Rural Areas, and the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans, while reaffirming its central role in supporting the EU’s enlargement agenda.

A Forward-Looking Strategic Framework

The revised Action Plan introduces a fifth pillar: Improved Social Cohesion, complementing the four original thematic pillars: Blue Growth, Connecting the Region, Environmental Quality, and Sustainable Tourism. The update responds to pressing regional challenges including:

• Climate change and green transition, now mainstreamed across all pillars;
• Demographic shifts and brain drain, particularly in sparsely populated rural areas;
• Digitalisation and innovation, fostering smart specialisation and capacity building;
• Youth participation and gender equality, embedded in all areas of cooperation;
• Better governance, with a focus on multi-level and cross-sectoral coordination.

It also establishes a coherent system of indicators, enabling better monitoring of outcomes, and aims to strengthen urban-rural linkages, a vital step in reducing internal disparities within the macro-region.

A Milestone Annual Forum in Crete

The adoption of the revised Action Plan and Communication coincided with the 10th Annual Forum, hosted in Georgioupolis, Crete, on 6–7 May 2025 under the Greek Presidency of the Strategy. The Forum brought together high-level representatives, ministers, civil society, regional authorities, and youth delegates from across the region to reaffirm their commitment to shared priorities.

During the Ministerial Meeting and press conference, participants praised the Strategy’s impact over the past decade, particularly in fostering institutional capacity-building, enabling policy alignment, and creating a platform for joint actions across borders. The Forum also saw the handover of the Strategy Presidency to the Republic of North Macedonia, which will lead the Strategy from June 2025 to May 2026.

The Crete Declaration, endorsed at the Forum, underlines the Strategy’s unique position to help candidate countries accelerate reforms, absorb EU funds, and align with the EU acquis. It also reinforces the Strategy’s role in the post-2027 cohesion policy framework and calls for greater emphasis on resilience, simplification, and performance-oriented investment.

A Strategic Tool for Enlargement and Cohesion

European Union Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Strategy is more than a policy framework - it is a vehicle for transformation. By facilitating cooperation on equal footing between EU Member States and candidate countries, it enables concrete steps toward EU membership and stronger territorial cohesion. The Strategy fosters shared ownership of common challenges, from maritime transport and biodiversity protection to sustainable tourism and intermodal infrastructure.

The Strategy is also instrumental in supporting the implementation of the EU’s Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans and the IPA framework, notably through closer coordination of funding streams and the integration of Strategy’s flagships into national and regional programmes.

A New Generation of Cooperation

The revised EUSAIR also places youth participation at its core. The newly established European Union Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Strategy Youth Council exemplifies how the Strategy empowers the next generation to shape policies, lead cross-border initiatives, and contribute to regional development. The Forum’s accompanying youth-driven exhibition, “Living without leaving”, highlighted the aspirations of young people to build prosperous futures in their home regions.

Looking Ahead

As the EU prepares for the post-2027 period, the Strategy offers a tested and adaptable model for delivering cohesion, sustainability, and enlargement in tandem. The European Commission will continue to work with participating countries to ensure that the Strategy remains resilient, inclusive, and fit for purpose - driving integration and unlocking the region’s full potential.