The European Commission has published its first report on the implementation of the EU’s four macro-regional strategies. The report assesses the progress of the implementation of the strategies, presents the main results of the strategies’ work, and provides examples of good practices from the various strategies. It also reflects on lessons learned so far and provides recommendations for the strategies going forward.
The EU currently has four strategies that involve 19 EU and 8 non-EU countries. The four strategies are the following.
- The EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR) started in 2009,
- The EU Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR) started in 2011,
- The EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region (EUSAIR) started in 2014,
- The EU Strategy for the Alpine Region (EUSALP) started in 2016.
Macro-regions serve as functional areas that “can contribute to improving the implementation of EU policies and programmes and to the achievement of territorial cohesion”[1]. As macro-regional strategies can create no new EU legislation, EU funding, or EU institutions, they have to work within and contribute to the policies and programs of the EU and are thus an important tool in the achievement of EU objectives. Mountain areas are important landscape features in three of the four macroregions and stand to benefit from effective implementation of EU policies and programmes through the strategies.
The report is a concise ten pages and can be found at this link in all languages of the EU.
[1] European Commission (16/12/2016). REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS on the implementation of EU macro-regional strategies.
6 February 2017
