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
Date: 2020-09-23
Institutions: Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy, European Commission
Subjects: Adriatic and Ionian region, Alpine Region, Baltic Sea region, Danube region, EU macroregional policy, EU strategy, European territorial cooperation, economic and social cohesion, regional cooperation, regional development

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 23.9.2020  COM(2020) 578 final  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 {SWD(2020) 186 final}  
 
 
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 

1. INTRODUCTION 

EU  macro-regional  strategies  (‘MRS’)  are  policy  frameworks  initiated  by  EU  and  non-EU 
countries  located  in  a  defined  geographical  area  to  jointly  address  challenges  and 
opportunities they have in common through setting shared, long-term objectives. 

The four MRS involve 19 EU and 9 non-EU countries. They are: 

 
 
 
 

the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR, 2009); 
the EU Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR, 2011); 
the EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region (EUSAIR, 2014); and 
the EU Strategy for the Alpine Region (EUSALP, 2016). 

From 2016, as agreed with the Council1, the Commission has published a report every 2 years 
on  the  implementation  of  the  four  MRS.  This  is  the  third  such  report,  covering  the  period 
from  mid-2018 to  mid-2020.  It assesses  the state of play  and progress  on implementing the 
MRS and examines possible ways forward. It is complemented by a staff working document 
(SWD)  which  provides  more  details  on  each  MRS.  Both  documents  are  based  on 
contributions  from  the  MRS  national  and  thematic  coordinators  (‘MRS  key  implementers’) 
and experts.  

This  report  is  published  at  a  time  when  the  crisis  caused  by  the  unprecedented  COVID-19 
pandemic  is  having  severe  economic,  fiscal  and  social  impacts  on  European  society.  The 
Commission  reacted  quickly  proposing  immediate  measures  (e.g.  CRII  and  CRII+2)  and 
extensive proposals for the short to medium term, including the Next Generation EU recovery 
instrument3.  On  21  July  2020,  the  European  Council  reached  an  agreement  on  the  Next 
Generation EU. 

As soon as the proposals were adopted by the Commission, MRS key implementers worked 
to identify the appropriate means for the strategies to help participating countries to respond 
to  the  crisis.  The  MRS  provide  a  ready  and  operational  cooperation  framework  to  ensure 
better coordination of actions, investments and projects within their territories. The MRS are 
cross-sectoral,  stakeholders  inclusive  and  involve  different  governance  levels.  All  these 
features  can  be  of  key  importance  in  delivering  EU  priorities  such  as  the  European  Green 
Deal4, the European Digital Strategy5, ‘An economy that works for people’6 and ‘A stronger 
Europe in the world’7.  

1   Council conclusion on the EU Strategy for the Alpine Region (EUSALP), point (32): 

https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/sources/cooperate/macro_region_strategy/pdf/eusalp_coucil_conclusions
_27112015.pdf  

2   Coronavirus Response Investment Initiative (CRII) and Coronavirus Response Investment Initiative Plus 

(CRII+): https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/en/newsroom/coronavirus-response/  

3   https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_20_940  
4   https://ec.europa.eu/info/strategy/priorities-2019-2024/european-green-deal_en 
5   https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/content/european-digital-strategy   
6   https://ec.europa.eu/info/strategy/priorities-2019-2024/economy-works-people_en  
7   https://ec.europa.eu/info/strategy/priorities-2019-2024/stronger-europe-world_en  

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The  purpose  of  this  report  is  twofold.  First,  it  takes  note  of  progress  on  the  MRS  and  sets 
expectations for further improvements. Second, it explores possible development of the MRS 
post-COVID-19  crisis  with  the  aim  of  securing  a  sustainable,  competitive  and  socially 
inclusive  economic  recovery.  In  that  respect,  the  report  assesses  the  role  of  the  MRS  in 
delivering the new EU priorities for a green, digital and resilient future.  

2. RESULTS, CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES 

As already proved, the four MRS are highly relevant in delivering the EU priorities for 2019-
2024  in  their  respective  territories,  in  particular  the  European  Green  Deal,  the  European 
Digital Strategy, ‘An economy that works for people’ and ‘A stronger Europe in the world’. 
The  MRS  have  particularly  helped  to  improve  the  state  of  the  Baltic  Sea  environment8,  to 
enhance the water status in the Danube and its tributaries and to improve the navigability of 
the Danube River. They have also helped increase the integrated and sustainable governance 
of  the  maritime  space  and  coastal  areas  of  Adriatic  and  Ionian  Seas  and  improve  the 
conditions for ecological connectivity in the Alpine region by deploying green infrastructure. 

The platform provided by the MRS for policy coordination across countries and among funds, 
sectors, governance levels and stakeholders has been key in achieving these results.  

However, even though the MRS have already delivered meaningful results, realising their full 
potential  requires  time  and  a  bold  change  of  mind-set  among  countries,  ensuring  they 
systematically consider the benefits of working together.  

2.1 Main policy developments 

The main developments since the previous MRS report are (i) the revisions of the action plans 
in  the  Danube  and  the  Baltic  strategies;  (ii)  the  Republic  of  North  Macedonia  joining  the 
Adriatic-Ionian strategy; and (iii) the ‘embedding’ process – ongoing in all MRS – aimed at 
aligning the relevant priorities of EU funding programmes 2021-20279 with the MRS.  

(i)   The revised action plan of the Danube strategy was published on 6 April 202010. The 
revision aligns the strategy  with  the new priorities and  challenges of the region  and 
better  links  the  Danube  strategy’s  actions  with  the  new  EU  priorities  like  the 
European Green Deal, SMEs, as well as tourism and cultural heritage.  
The revision of the action plan of the  Baltic strategy  is  progressing with  the aim of 
focusing  and  streamlining  policy  areas  and  strengthening  coordination.  This  revised 
action plan is expected to be published in 2020.  

(ii)  On 2 April 2020, North  Macedonia was officially welcomed as the ninth country to 
participate  in  the  Adriatic-Ionian  strategy.  With  North  Macedonia,  the  strategy  now 
encompasses  five  Western  Balkan  ‘enlargement’  countries,  working  on  an  equal 
footing with four EU Member States on common issues.  

8   The HELCOM report on the state of the Baltic Sea (http://stateofthebalticsea.helcom.fi/in-brief/summary-of-
findings/)  clearly  shows  that  the  measures  taken  so  far  within  the  Baltic  Sea  strategy  framework,  such  as 
cutting nutrient inputs (nitrates and phosphorus), fighting pollution and working to protect  biodiversity, have 
made a difference to the state of the Baltic Sea environment. 

9   European Structural and Investment Funds (ESI Funds), European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development 
(EAFRD),  Instrument  for  Pre-accession  Assistance  (IPA),  Neighbourhood,  Development  and  International 
Cooperation Instrument (NDICI). 

10  SWD(2020) 59 final - https://danube-region.eu/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/EUSDR-ACTION-PLAN-

SWD202059-final-1.pdf  

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(iii) Since 2018, the MRS have initiated or strengthened the embedding process that led to 
mutually  beneficial  interactions  between  strategies’  and  programmes’  authorities  in 
preparing  post-2020  programming  documents.  This  is  to  be  continued  during 
implementation throughout 2021-2027. Eventually, embedding is expected to increase 
programmes’  impacts  through  better  cooperation  and  coordination,  in  addition  to 
providing  the  MRS  with  the  means  to  achieve  their  objectives.  It  will  also  allow 
beneficiaries of EU funds to achieve better results with their action while contributing 
to the strategic objectives of the MRS. 

2.2 MRS thematic priorities and their interrelation with the European Green Deal 

While their priorities are shaped according to the specific challenges and opportunities of the 
relevant regions, all four MRS have three main, broad, interconnected priorities in common11: 
environment  and  climate  change;  research  &  innovation  and  economic  development;  and 
connectivity (transport, energy, digital networks).  

The  following  sections  give  information  about  some  of  the  specific  achievements  −  in  the 
form  of  both  processes  and  projects  −  within  these  three  priority  areas  since  the  previous 
report, as well as their interrelation with key actions of the European Green Deal.   

Due  to  their  cross-sectoral  and  cross-thematic  nature,  these  achievements  also  support  ‘An 
economy that works for people’ and the European Digital Strategy. 

Environment and climate change 

Key  actions  in  the  European  Green  Deal  include  eliminating  pollution  for  a  toxic-free 
environment and preserving and restoring ecosystems and biodiversity. 

The  MRS  have  delivered  important  achievements  in  the  field  of  water  quality,  which  are 
relevant for the European Green Deal key actions, and in the field of ecological connectivity, 
which are relevant for biodiversity. 

For  example,  the  MRS  have  helped  improve  the  water  quality  of  the  Baltic  and  Adriatic-
Ionian Seas respectively through better management of hazardous substances released into the 
Baltic Sea12 and better monitoring of the water quality in the Adriatic-Ionian Seas13. The MRS 
have  also  helped  improve  the  water  status  in  the  Danube  through  reinforced  integration 
between river basin management planning and flood risk prevention14. 

They have furthermore helped develop green infrastructure in the Alpine region through the 
‘star  initiatives’,  which  aim  to  convert  the  political  declaration  by  the  Alpine  countries  and 
regions  ‘Alpine  green  infrastructure  –  joining  forces  for  nature,  people  and  the  economy’15 
into tangible results. 

Research/innovation and economic development 

Research and innovation will play a central role in the European Green Deal. 

11  Full details on all priority areas of each MRS to be found in the staff working document accompanying this 

report. 

12  https://www.syke.fi/projects/hazbref 
13  https://www.adrioninterreg.eu/index.php/2019/08/02/funded-projects-under-s-o-2-2/#toggle-id-3 
14  https://environmentalrisks.danube-region.eu/tisza-ministerial-meeting/  
15  https://www.alpine-region.eu/results/28-alpine-states-and-regions-adopted-political-declaration-

%E2%80%9Ealpine-green-infrastructure-%E2%80%93  

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In that respect, among others, the MRS support knowledge capitalisation and sharing research 
and innovation, in particular via ‘Centres operating in the Alpine Region’16 and the ‘Danube 
Funding  Coordination  Network’17.  Furthermore,  MRS  promote  Smart  Specialisation 
Strategies by supporting transnational innovation platforms and SME clusters.  

In the European Green Deal, sustainable blue economy is  also playing an important role, in 
particular  in  alleviating  the  demands  on  the  EU’s  land  resources  and  in  tackling  climate 
change. 

In that respect, the MRS have supported the sustainable development of the blue economy (in 
a similar way as the sea basin strategies18). For example, they help increase knowledge of the 
‘blue  bio  economy’  through  a  dedicated  platform  in  the  Baltic  region19  and  improve 
knowledge transfer on blue technologies in the Adriatic and Ionian region20. 

Connectivity 

The  European  Green  Deal  encourages  the  acceleration  of  the  shift  to  sustainable  and  smart 
mobility and the supply of clean, affordable and secure energy. In that respect, the MRS have 
achieved  significant  milestones,  for  example  in  the  fields  of  sustainable  and  multi-modal 
transport and of sustainable energy supply. 

In  the  field  of  transport,  for  example,  on  30  June  2020  ten  transport  ministers  from  the 
Danube region reconfirmed their commitment to implement the ‘Fairway Rehabilitation and 
Maintenance  Master  Plan’21  for  the  Danube  and  its  navigable  tributaries,  adopted  in 
December 2014. This is an important step for improving fairway conditions at several critical 
sections of the Danube River22 and, overall, for multi-modal transport in the region.  

The  MRS  also  support  the  sustainable  development  of  transport  corridors  in  the  Baltic  Sea 
region23 and the distribution and supply of liquefied natural gas (LNG) for maritime transport 
in the Adriatic-Ionian region24. 

The MRS have already proved that they can play a significant role in the so called ‘twin green 
and  digital  transition’  supporting  the  implementation  of  the  European  Digital  Strategy,  in 
particular in  the Alpine Region  through strategic initiatives aimed at  fostering smart, digital 
transformation of Alpine villages25. 

2.3 Access to funding and embedding  

As  the  MRS  do  not  have  their  own  resources,  their  implementation  depends  on  bundling 
funding  from  different  sources.  Therefore,  the  success  or  failure  of  the  MRS  is  ultimately 

16  https://www.alpine-region.eu/projects/re-search-alps 
17  https://knowledgesociety.danube-region.eu/working-groups/wg-3-newly-established-danube-funding-

coordination-network-dfcn/  

18 The Atlantic Maritime Strategy (https://atlanticstrategy.eu/en), the Initiative for the sustainable development of 
the  blue  economy  in  the  Western  Mediterranean  -  WestMED  (https://www.westmed-initiative.eu/)  and  the 
Common Maritime Agenda for the Black Sea (https://blackseablueconomy.eu/206/common-maritime-agenda-
black-sea). 

19  https://www.submariner-network.eu/blue-platform 
20  https://www.italy-croatia.eu/web/beat/about-the-project 
21  https://navigation.danube-region.eu/danube-ministers-of-transport-sign-again-conclusions-on-effective-

waterway-rehabilitation-and-maintenance/ 

22  http://www.fairwaydanube.eu/ 
23  https://projects.interreg-baltic.eu/projects/scandriaR2act-2.html 
24  https://superlng.adrioninterreg.eu/ 
25  https://www.alpine-space.eu/projects/smartvillages/en/home 

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linked  to  their  capacity  to  ensure  that  EU,  national,  regional,  and  other  public  and  private 
funds are aligned with the priorities of the relevant strategy.  

Bridging  the  gap  between  the  MRS’s  needs  and  funding  opportunities  will  therefore  be  a 
critical challenge for 2021-2027.  

The  European  Structural  and  Investment  funds  (ESI  Funds)  offer  significant  financial 
resources and a wide range of tools and technical options that could help ensure synergies and 
complementarity.  Nevertheless,  the  coordination  between  the  MRS  and  ESI  Funds 
programmes  has,  so  far,  been  limited  and  mainly  concentrated  on  European  Territorial 
Cooperation (Interreg) programmes.  
The four Interreg transnational programmes covering the MRS26 have played a special role in 
supporting  the  strategies.  They  have  been  the  most  visible  funding  source  of  MRS 
projects/activities  while  sustaining  −  though  to  different  degrees  −  the  MRS  governance 
structures.  However,  despite  their  very  positive  catalytic  role,  Interreg  programmes  have 
neither  the  size  (very  limited  budgets)  nor  the  features  (type  of  projects)  to  address  the 
ambitious MRS objectives and priorities.  

The  ESI  Funds  national/regional  programmes,  due  to  their  comprehensive  scope  and  their 
financial resources, could and should more effectively work hand-in-hand with the MRS for 
the mutual benefit of both the strategies and the programmes. 

The priorities of the ESI Funds national/regional programmes are, to a large extent, consistent 
with those of the MRS. A growing number of 2014-2020 programmes report support for MRS 
projects27,  as  indicated  in  the  annual  implementation  reports  submitted  by  the  programmes’ 
managing  authorities28.  However,  a  proper  coordination  with  the  MRS  and  among 
programmes in the macro-regions would greatly increase the impact of this support.  

In  2014,  the  majority  of  the  ESI  Funds  national/regional  programmes  did  not  consider  the 
MRS’s  objectives  and  activities.  Very  few  of  these  programmes  addressed  cross-sectoral 
priorities, and cross-territorial aspects are lacking in almost all of them. 

Cooperation  among  ESI  Funds  national/regional  programmes  from  different  countries  is  a 
new  concept  requiring  a  change  in  mind-set.  These  programmes  are  essentially  inward-
looking,  even  when  cooperation/coordination  with  programmes  in  the  macro-region  could 
increase  the  effectiveness  and  the  impact  of  actions.  It  will  therefore  be  important  to  raise 
awareness of the benefits of cooperation between countries and regions. 

For  all  these  reasons,  mobilising  the  next  generation  of  national  and  regional  EU  funding 
programmes  remains  a  vital  exercise  for  the  MRS.  However,  for  this  to  happen,  an  overall 
political  consensus  that  funds  should  be  aligned  with  MRS  priorities  and  objectives  is 
paramount. 

The  proposed  cohesion  policy  regulations  for  the  2021-2027  period  include  provisions 
designed  to  facilitate  support  for  MRS  projects/activities,  as  cooperation  between  countries 
and  regions  should  become  common  practice.  However,  including  the  jointly  agreed  MRS 
priorities  in  the  2021-2027  EU  funding  programmes  requires  effective  and  continuous 

26  Interreg  Baltic  Sea  (ERDF  €264  million),  Interreg  Danube  (ERDF  €222  million),  Interreg  Adriatic-Ionian 
(ERDF  and  IPA  €99  million),  Interreg  Alpine  Space  (ERDF  €117  million)  transnational  cooperation 
programmes. 

27  E.g. by allocating extra points in call for proposals to projects with macro-regional significance or impact.  
28  During  the  reporting  period,  data  provided  by  ESI  Funds  programmes  on  support  for  the  MRS  are  not 
sufficiently consistent to be aggregated and should be used with caution. A synthesis is provided in the SWD. 

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cooperation  between  MRS’s  national  and  thematic  coordinators  and  the  national/regional 
authorities responsible for these programmes.  

Positive signals have already emerged from the increasing and constructive dialogue between 
the MRS and ESI Funds national/regional programme authorities. All four MRS have taken 
initiatives to accelerate and strengthen this ‘embedding’ process. MRS key implementers are 
more  and  more  active  in  promoting  macro-regional  cooperation  with  relevant  programme 
authorities,  expanding  their  understanding  of  the  benefits  of  cooperating  to  find  common 
responses  to  issues  that  go  beyond  national/regional  boundaries.  In  turn,  this  also  allows 
stakeholders to increase their capacity and improve their performance. 

Several  initiatives  are  currently  ongoing  to  improve  the  mobilisation  of  ESI  Funds 
programmes  to  support  the  objectives  of  the  strategies.  Macro-regional  processes  and 
flagship/emblematic projects/activities were identified in all MRS. Networks of the managing 
authorities  of  ESI  Funds  programmes  are  being  developed/strengthened  to  facilitate  the 
funding and implementation of transnational projects. Proposals are also being considered to: 

include MRS key implementers in programmes’ monitoring committees; 

 
  operationalise  project 

ideas  by 

(co-)developing  proposals 

and 

selecting 

actions/projects for funding; and 

  align content and actions, e.g. through the launch of thematic or specific/targeted calls. 

The  directly  managed  EU  programmes  (e.g.  LIFE,  Erasmus,  Horizon  2020,  Connecting 
Europe  Facility  -  CEF)  represent  another  potential  funding  source  as  these  often  promote 
transnational cooperation. MRS key implementers provided a limited number of examples of 
synergies between the MRS and some directly managed EU programmes, notably with LIFE, 
CEF  and  Horizon  2020.  The  strengthening  of  those  synergies  requires  a  case-by-case 
approach,  as  directly managed EU programmes cover the entirety of the  EU-27 and are not 
geographically focused. 

Finally, the Interreg, IPA and NDICI cross-border cooperation programmes within the MRS 
territories can also substantially contribute to delivering the MRS objectives. In that respect, 
close cooperation between the authorities responsible for these programmes and the relevant 
MRS  key  implementers  is  essential  from  the  early  phases  of  preparing  programmes 
throughout their implementation in 2021-2027. 

2.4 Governance and Administrative capacity 

In  all  four  MRS  the  governance  structures  are  set  up  and  running  on  the  three  inter-related 
levels29:  political  level,  coordination  level  and  implementation  level.  As  a  well-functioning 
governance structure is  critical  to  the success  or failure of the MRS, the review and  further 
improvement of governance issues remains central for all strategies to ensure they keep pace 
with  developments.  Over  the  last  2  years,  there  has  been  progress  in  the  governance  and 
administrative capacity of the four MRS, and a number of noticeable results can be reported. 

In  the  Alpine  strategy,  a  specific  task  force  was  set  up  to  reflect  and  make  proposals  to 
improve the effectiveness of the governance. In the Danube strategy, a paper on governance, 
clarifying  the  roles  of  various  key  actors,  and  an  update  of  the  rules  of  procedure  were 
produced. The governance structure of the Baltic Sea strategy is being reviewed as part of the 
revision of the action plan. 

29  COM(2014) 284 final, on the governance of macro-regional strategies. 

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Finally,  the  four  MRS  provide  good  examples  of  cooperation  between  their  implementing 
bodies  and  the  multilateral  environmental  governance  structures  that  are  relevant  for  the 
territories covered by the strategies30. 

Political level 

In  all  four  MRS,  the  political  level  is  generally  represented  by  the  Ministers  of  Foreign 
Affairs and, in some cases, the ministers or authorities in charge of EU funds. They provide 
the political and strategic direction. In the Alpine strategy, the regional authorities also have 
an important role in the political/strategic discussions.  

The role of the rotating presidency is growing in all strategies, as the participating countries 
realise  its  importance  in  driving  the  strategic  direction  of  the  MRS.  A  ‘Trio  presidency’ 
system has been put in place in the Danube, Adriatic-Ionian and Alpine strategies, and its role 
has been increased. 

Strengthening  political  commitment  is  essential:  the  national  and  regional  authorities  of  the 
countries involved should be able to provide more strategic leadership at ministerial level to 
bridge the gap between the strong political commitments and the ability of administrations to 
follow up on these. 

Coordination level 

The  coordination  of  the  MRS  within  and  between  participating  countries  is  done  by  the 
national coordinators. Jointly, they act as an interface between the political level  – to which 
they  report  on  implementation  and  submit  proposals  −  and  the  implementation  level  –  to 
which they provide strategic guidance. Many participating countries have put in place multi-
level  coordination  mechanisms  at  national  level,  which  are  providing  encouraging  results. 
However,  more  attention  should  be  given  to  staff  continuity  and  providing  adequate 
administrative support.  

Implementation level 

The role of the implementing bodies (thematic/priority/policy steering or action groups) has 
grown  noticeably,  as  these  are  the  drivers  of  the  day-to-day  implementation  of  MRS  action 
plans. The MRS key implementers need financial, political and administrative support to fulfil 
their  tasks.  Therefore,  further  work  is  required  to  appropriately  empower  them  with  clear 
mandates and effective decision-making capacity, while ensuring that they have the resources, 
technical capacity and the skills needed. 

Progress has also been reported on the ‘tools’ supporting the implementation of the MRS. The 
new EUSDR Danube Strategy Point (DSP) has been up and running (again) since September 
2018.  The  EUSAIR  Facility  Point  has  supported  the  strategy’s  governance  and  key 
implementers  since 2015.  In  February 2020, the  EUSALP General  Assembly decided to  set 
up a technical support structure to support the strategy. The Baltic Sea strategy is also aiming 
to strengthen its administrative capacity and is drawing on the experiences of the other MRS. 

The  MRS  presidencies,  together  with  the  Commission  and  the  support  of  the  Interact 
programme,  have  been  developing  cooperation  networks,  methods  and  tools  to  embed  the 
MRS into post-2020 EU funding programmes.  

30  Examples: regional sea conventions, such as the Barcelona Convention for the EUSAIR and HELCOM for the 
EUSBSR,  or  regional  mountain  and  basins’  conventions,  such  as  the  Alpine  Convention  for  the  EUSALP, 
ICPDR and the Carpathian Convention for the EUSDR.  

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Moreover,  Interact,  with  the  support  of  the  Commission,  continues  to  promote  the  macro-
regional  concept  by  building  and  consolidating  networks  between  key  implementers  across 
the  strategies  (e.g.  in  governance,  transport,  environment  or  climate  change  areas),  and  by 
strengthening the capacity of the implementing bodies.  

Civil society 

The  multi-level  and  multi-stakeholders  governance  system  of  the  MRS  involves,  by 
definition, different types of transnational, cross-sectoral and cross-regional actors in different 
types of activities. The MRS approach has allowed new stakeholders to be involved and new 
dynamics and new ways of cooperating to be developed. All the MRS are making efforts to 
involve  civil  society  in  work  on  thematic  areas.  Implementing  bodies  are  increasingly 
connected  with  civil  society.  Participation  by  local  communities  strengthens  the  bottom-up 
dimension of the MRS actions, especially those focused on increasing  youth involvement in 
the MRS process, which are becoming more and more significant in all four MRS. 

In  the  Danube  strategy,  civil  society  get  involved  through  platforms  based  on  participatory 
planning,  community  building  and  empowerment.  Civil  society  representatives  are  key 
partners  in  implementing  National  Participation  Days  −  the  2019  Danube  Participation  Day 
was attended by more than 1 000 people.  

In  the  Baltic  Sea  strategy,  civil  society  actors,  predominantly  from  higher  education  and 
research  institutions,  are  involved  in  many  projects/activities.  However,  there  is  scope  for 
increased involvement of the business community, NGOs and young people. 

The  EUSAIR  stakeholder  platform  is  operational  and  the  Alpine  strategy  has  begun 
developing  a  digital  participatory  platform  to  support  the  dissemination  of  sustainable 
initiatives and the involvement of civil society stakeholders. 

Thus,  the  role  of  civil  society  organisations  has  been  growing  and  should  be  further 
encouraged. 

2.5 Monitoring and evaluation  

The MRS are delivering a significant number of results, ranging from internal capacity effects 
and  coordination/cooperation  processes  among  countries  and  regions, 
to  concrete 
transnational  projects/activities  being  implemented  or  facilitated.  However,  in  practice,  it  is 
challenging to measure and report on these achievements.  

Initiatives to develop monitoring systems are on-going, notably by agreeing on indicators and 
targets for the priorities included in the action plans. 

Further work is needed to capture the complexity of results that a MRS produces, including 
essential  institutional  and  capacity  development  among  countries  and  stakeholders.  A 
comprehensive monitoring mechanism would also be helpful in maintaining political support 
and help key implementers to better understand each strategy’s weaknesses and strengths. 

The Interreg ESPON programme has developed a monitoring tool − the European Territorial 
Monitoring System (ETMS) − designed to serve, among others, the MRS. The tool provides 
MRS key implementers and other stakeholders with territorial information.  

2.6 Communication 

The last Eurobarometer (October 2019) shows a growing awareness of the four MRS among 
the EU public, most probably resulting from a noticeable increase in communication activities 
during  the  reporting  period.  Each  of  the  MRS  now  has  in  place  a  fully  operational  body  to 
increase  awareness  among  stakeholders  and  individuals  (EUSBSR:  Let’s  communicate; 

8 

 
 
EUSDR: Danube Strategy Point; EUSAIR: Facility Point; and EUSALP: AlpGov). All of the 
MRS  have  set  up  dedicated  websites,  active  social  media  accounts  and  newsletters,  and  the 
number  of  subscribers  to  these  is  growing.  The  Adriatic-Ionian  and  the  Danube  strategies 
already have common communication plans to ensure communication activities and messages 
are  coordinated.  In  the  Alpine  strategy,  the  ‘Pitch.Your.Project’31  initiative  allows  young 
people to directly contribute to implementing the strategy. 

There has been a clear increase in the number of national and macro-regional events to reach 
public authorities, funding programmes and the public during the last two years. The annual 
fora,  supported  along  others  by  the  Commission  ‘Media  programme’,  are  the  main  annual 
events for the MRS and they attract large numbers of participants. Participation by high-level 
politicians in the annual fora is crucial to increase media interest.  

The  ‘Mediterranean  Coast  and  Macro-Regional  Strategies  Week’  is  another  key  event 
bringing together key implementers of the four MRS. This Slovenian-led initiative has proven 
a successful tool to reach both national media and the wider public.  

In  February  2020,  for  the  first  time,  a  ‘MRS  Week’  was  organised  in  Brussels  to  bring 
together various meetings and workshops focused on each MRS. The ‘Week’ was welcomed 
by  MRS  stakeholders  as  an  opportunity  to  coordinate  and  exchange  experiences  among  the 
strategies, to exchange with representatives from the EU institutions, and to raise awareness.  

At national level, all strategies have stepped up their awareness-raising events, but more work 
will  be  needed.  Although  English  is  currently  the  working  language  of  all  four  strategies, 
communicating with the public in national languages should be encouraged. 

3. THE WAY FORWARD 

Macro  regional  cooperation  is  a  powerful  tool  to  support  economic,  social  and  territorial 
development and integration, and to foster good relations with neighbouring countries. 

After more than 10 years of implementation, the MRS are an integral part of the EU territorial 
cooperation toolbox, though their potential has not been fully realised yet. 

The world is changing at a fast pace, and the MRS should keep abreast  with new priorities. 
For the MRS to continue providing solutions to common challenges, it is important that they 
are regularly reviewed and updated. They must ensure a balance between being responsive to 
emerging  new  needs  and  priorities,  and  ensuring  continuity  of  work  to  achieve  tangible 
results. 

COVID-19 crisis, European Green Deal and European Digital Strategy  

As  soon  as  the  impact  of  the  COVID-19  outbreak  became  apparent,  the  MRS  national 
coordinators  took  initiatives  to  consider  how  the  MRS  could  help  participating  countries  to 
tackle the crisis through coordinated actions. The extent of the role that the MRS could play 
became  clearer  in  the  light  of  the  initiatives  taken  by  the  Commission  notably  with  the 
proposed Next Generation EU recovery plan.   

The  MRS  coordination  bodies  met  to  discuss  what  actions  could  be  taken  by  each  MRS  to 
help  participating  countries  and  regions  to  recover  and  implement  a  medium  to  long  term 
economic  response.  In  addition,  the  Presidencies  of  the  four  MRS  met  on  17  June  2020  in 
order  to  identify  potential  topics,  relevant  for  all  MRS,  where  a  reinforced  cross-MRS 
cooperation  could  help  to  a  sustainable  and  resilient  recovery  of  the  macro-regions,  whilst 
supporting the Union’s green and digital priorities. 

31  https://www.alpine-region.eu/pitch-your-project-2020  

9 

 
 
                                                           
Following  early  initiatives  by  the  MRS  national  coordinators,  the  political  level  for  each 
strategy should now urge the MRS key implementers to coordinate their efforts with all of the 
relevant  stakeholders  across  the  macro-region  in  the  areas  in  which  the  MRS  have  proved 
their added value. This should include the MRS’s role in implementing the European Green 
Deal  and  the  European  Digital  Strategy,  which  are  the  cornerstone  of  Europe’s  growth 
strategy, and areas such as sustainable tourism, SME transnational clusters or health. 

Embedding and implementation 

The  process  aiming  to  align  2021-2027  national/regional  EU  funding  programmes  with 
relevant MRS priorities (‘embedding’), must be successfully completed. This is vital for the 
MRS  to  achieve  their  economic,  social  and  territorial  objectives,  and  for  programmes  to 
improve their effectiveness and increase their impact by cooperating and coordinating actions 
across the macro-region. To that aim: 

 

  MRS  key  implementers  and  national/regional  authorities  responsible  for  2021-2027 
EU  funding  programmes  should  intensify  their  efforts  before  the  programmes  are 
finalised.   
In  order  to  ensure  an  effective  implementation  across  the  macro-region  of  the  MRS 
priorities  included  in  2021-2027  EU  funding  programmes,  relevant  networks  of 
programme  (managing)  authorities  should  be  set  up  for  each  MRS.  These  networks 
have  a  central  role  to  play  and  should  be  well  structured  to  operate  throughout  the 
2021-2027  period  and  beyond.  They  will  provide  a  meeting  space  for  programme 
(managing)  authorities  to  engage  with  MRS  key  implementers,  to  coordinate  the 
implementation of the MRS measures included in their respective programmes, and to 
promote cooperation among programmes so as to ensure the expected macro-regional 
impact.  Initial  examples  of  such  networks  in  the  Baltic  and  the  Danube  regions  are 
already delivering encouraging results. 

Access to funds directly managed by the Commission 

MRS  national  and  thematic  coordinators  should  encourage  relevant  project  promoters  (e.g. 
macro-regional  actors)  to  participate  in  the  competitive  mechanisms  (such  as  calls  for 
projects)  published  by  the  directly  managed  EU  instruments  (e.g.  Horizon  Europe,  Digital 
Europe programme, LIFE, Erasmus, Single-Market programme32). 

In  order  to  maximise  their  chances  of  success,  the  MRS  national  and  thematic  coordinators 
should promote and facilitate access to national/regional expertise to support the development 
of high quality proposals for the calls for projects. 

MRS governance 

The political level should strengthen its leadership of the MRS, by: 

  providing strong strategic guidance;  
  ensuring  coherence  between  the  MRS  and  other  territorial/sectorial  national  and 

transnational strategies and policies; 

  ensuring  that  all  MRS  national  and  thematic  coordinators  are  duly  empowered  and 

 

provided with a clear mandate and adequate resources; 
reinforcing multi-level governance through the effective involvement of regional/local 
stakeholders, civil society, including young people, in implementing the MRS.  

32  On the basis of current Commission proposals for programmes 2021-2027. 

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The  annual  ministerial/political  meetings  that  take  place  back-to-back  with  the  annual  fora, 
proved  to  be  a  valuable  best  practice  which  should  be  considered  in  all  MRS.  Annual 
ministerial meetings are very useful to ensure accountability, to take political decisions, and to 
provide  strategic  guidance,  e.g.  by  adopting  ministerial/political  declarations.  National  and 
thematic coordinators should be mandated to implement the decisions taken and report back 
on achievements at the next annual ministerial meeting. 

Building on the experience of the Danube and the Adriatic-Ionian strategies, all MRS should 
be assisted by a technical support structure responsible for tasks including: supporting rotating 
presidencies  and  ensuring  continuity  of  actions;  implementing  communication  activities; 
supporting  thematic  coordinators  and  steering  groups;  ensuring  coordination  within/across 
MRS  and  with  sea  basin  strategies;  facilitating  the  networks  of  programme  (managing) 
authorities  and  MRS  key  implementers;  and  coordinating  monitoring  and  evaluation.  The 
technical support structure should have a stable source of financing to ensure continuity. The 
Interreg  Transnational  Cooperation  programmes  covering  the  MRS  territory  (Baltic  Sea, 
Danube, Adriatic-Ionian, Alpine Space) should play a key role. 

Communicating the MRS to stakeholders and the public is of utmost importance. Work in this 
area  should  be  continued  and  expanded  within  and  across  MRS,  by  more  targeted 
communication, exploiting synergies, improving coordination and harmonisation.  

MRS role in the EU enlargement policy 

Closer synergies with the enlargement process is key to supporting the EU perspective for the 
Western Balkans, in line with the EU priority ‘A stronger Europe in the world’ and the new 
enlargement methodology33. 

At political level, exchange and cooperation should be set up through high level initiatives in 
the region such as the EU-Western Balkan summits and other regional cooperation initiatives. 
This will avoid overlaps, allow for better coordination and increase regional cooperation with 
the final aim of having a stronger positive impact on the life of people in the region. 

The current involvement on an equal footing of the Western Balkans in the Danube and the 
Adriatic-Ionian  strategies  should  be  further  enhanced,  including  by  ensuring  their  effective 
participation in implementing the twin green and digital transition. Authorities from Western 
Balkan  participating  countries  should  allocate  sufficient  resources  to  ensure  their  effective 
participation in the MRS governance and implementing structures.  

4. CONCLUSIONS 

In  the  current  exceptional  circumstances  triggered  by  the  COVID-19  pandemic  and  the 
consequent  economic  crisis,  cooperation  among  countries  and  regions  is  needed  more  than 
ever. The crisis has economic, fiscal  and social consequences that cannot be tackled by any 
single country alone. The EU is providing innovative tools and extraordinary financial means 
to  ‘react  and  recover’:  in  the  short  term,  to  react  and  repair  the  damages  caused  to  the 
European  fabric  by  the  outbreak  of  the  pandemic;  in  the  medium  to  long  term,  to  recover 
through investing in  a green, digital,  resilient and socially inclusive economy. The recovery 
from the crisis represents a major opportunity for shaping the Europe of the future.  

Against  this  background,  the  MRS  have  a  significant  role  to  play  in  helping  participating 
countries and regions to tackle the economic crisis by implementing EU priorities such as the 
European  Green  Deal,  the  European  Digital  Strategy,  ‘An  economy  that  works  for  people’ 

33  COM(2020) 57 final: Enhancing the accession process – A credible EU perspective for the Western Balkans.  

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and  ‘A  stronger  Europe  in  the  world’  in  a  coordinated  manner.  Sustainable  tourism,  SME 
support, transnational innovation need particular attention. 

Member  States  have  now  a  unique  opportunity  to  promote  the  inclusion  of  relevant  MRS 
priorities in the 2021-2027 EU national and regional programmes (ESI Funds, EAFRD, IPA, 
NDICI). This is vital to  ensure the coordinated implementation of programmes and MRS in 
the macro-regions. 

For  the  MRS  to  substantially  contribute  to  the  mid-to-long-term  economic  recovery  and 
prosperity  of  the  participating  countries,  stronger  political  ownership  and  drive  needs  to  be 
sustained. 

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Appendix: Map of EU macro-regional strategies 

13