10. June, 2021
Final Report by European Commission, DG REGIO
Why is EUSAIR such an attractive Macro-regional Strategy and keeps on expanding its borders and adding new participating countries?

Because of its significant role in the enlargement process!

The study “EUSAIR facilitating the enlargement process of Western Balkans” is out!
This paper explores the potential contribution of the EUSAIR to the Western Balkans integration process with a series of 37 in-depth interviews.

The Final Report highlights the assets EUSAIR offers to the enlargement process, such as:

– its horizontal cooperation;

– a regional dimension that connects the Western Balkans to the EU;

– the convergence of interests between member states and non-member states on enlargement;

– its cooperative nature;

– its capacity-building contribution;

– the emphasis on territorial cooperation and its inclusive approach.
How may EUSAIR contribute to the enlargement process? By:

– easing the adoption of the acquis communautaire in the Western Balkan countries;

– fostering administrative capacity with grounded, evidence-based policies, generating cohesion competencies in the Western Balkan countries;

– helping the implementation of EU policies and strategies beyond EU borders;

– offering a framework where different levels, processes, strategies, and funds may converge;

– promoting a strong involvement of stakeholders and participatory policy-making that increase the accountability of governments and consolidate democracy.

A number of policy recommendations were done in this field. 👇
I’m interested to learn more about the outcomes!