There was the Danube Strategy and the Baltic Strategy. On Wednesday, 18 June, the European Commission launched in Brussels a Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region (EUSAIR).
It consists of an action plan to help the region's 70 million residents to reap the benefit of cooperation in areas like promoting the maritime economy, preserving the marine environment, completing transport and energy links and boosting sustainable tourism.
The Strategy will also provide a valuable opportunity for would-be members and candidates of the EU to work alongside EU members, in particular contributing to the integration of the Western Balkans into the EU.
This is the first EU 'macro-regional strategy' with such a large proportion of non-EU countries (Albania, Bosnia, Montenegro and Serbia) cooperating with EU members (Croatia, Greece, Italy, and Slovenia), eight countries in all. The strategy mainly revolves around the opportunities of the maritime economy - 'blue growth', land-sea transport, energy connectivity, protecting the environment and sustainable tourism – sectors that are bound to play a crucial role in creating jobs and boosting economic growth in the region.
European Commissioner for Regional Policy Johannes Hahn commented:"Working together to tackle common challenges and promote shared potential makes great sense. The Adriatic Ionian will be Europe's third macro-regional strategy. The countries involved should learn lessons from the Baltic Sea and Danube Strategies, namely the importance of focusing on a few priorities with strong political leadership, if it is to have a real impact. In a region that has seen some of Europe's most serious recent conflicts, the Adriatic Ionian Strategy, with its cooperation between EU and non-EU neighbouring countries, could also play an important part in helping the integration of the Western Balkans into the European Union."
Maria Damanaki, Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries said:"The maritime challenges we face in the Adriatic and Ionian Region are not unique to any one country: from overfishing to pollution, traffic congestion, transport connections and seasonal tourism: the only way that makes sense to tackle these issues is the united, coherent way. Since there is growth potential many of these areas, the action plan for the Adriatic Ionian can help propel the region out the crisis and put its economy back on track.”
Although the Strategy does not come with extra EU financing, the EUSAIR will mobilise and bring together existing EU and national funding instruments.
In particular the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF) as well as the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA) for 2014-2020, provide significant financial resources and a wide range of tools and technical options.
EU Funds and programmes of relevance for the specific pillar to be covered include, inter alia:
The European Maritime and Fisheries Fund and Horizon 2020, which targetsBlue Growthas one of its focus areas for RTD, can lend key support to the implementation of actions and projects under the theme Blue Growth.
ForConnecting the Regionthe Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) 2014-2020 supports the development of high-performing, sustainable and efficiently interconnected trans-European networks in the field of transport, energy and digital services.
For theEnvironmental quality, funds under the EU's LIFE programme, which are also open to non-EU Member States.
Sustainable Tourismcan benefit from the EU's COSME programme for Small and Medium Sized Business.
Other finance is also available, notably from the Western Balkans Investment Framework, the European Investment Bank (EIB) and other International Financial Institutions. These funds and instruments should create significant leverage and attract further funding from private investors.
http://www.neurope.eu/article/coupling-seas-new-eu-strategy-adriatic-and-ionian-regions