Macro-Regional and Sea Basin Strategies Days: Bringing together Europe’s eight macro-regional and sea basin strategies

Brussels hosted the Macro-Regional and Sea Basin Strategies Days from 24–25 September 2025, a flagship event bringing together Europe’s eight macro-regional and sea basin strategies.

Throughout the two days, participants took part in high-level panels, interactive workshops, and networking sessions—including “Speed Dating with the Commission.” Discussions focused on identifying synergies across strategies and exploring opportunities for future joint projects in areas such as water resilience, green energy, maritime security, and community empowerment. Moreover, the Assistance Mechanisms to the Sea basin strategies and Interact collaborated on a "Cross-strategy Fertilisation Session" focused on promoting learning, collaboration, and innovation among the different strategies, as well as identifying opportunities for joint initiatives and projects.

In the opening session, Ms. Zuica Zmejkovska, representing the EUSAIR Presidency of North Macedonia, highlighted the importance of the newly introduced Pillar V – Improved Social Cohesion. She emphasized that the Adriatic-Ionian region faces significant challenges related to brain drain, stressing that enhancing social cohesion is crucial for building resilience and ensuring sustainable growth. Her remarks followed inspiring interventions from young voices, who presented two creative initiatives:

• Youth4Ocean Forum – a platform empowering young people to share ideas, projects, and voices for the ocean and sustainable development.
• Living Without Leaving? – a nomadic art exhibition exploring youth, migration, identity, belonging, and the dilemma of whether to stay or to leave.

Executive Vice-President Raffaele Fitto underscored the increasing political relevance of EU Macro-Regional and Sea Basin Strategies, while Commissioner Cóstas Kadís stressed that Europe’s societal, environmental, security, and economic challenges demand not only rapid adaptation but also stronger cross-border cooperation. He underlined that these strategies are specifically designed to foster such coordination—delivering tangible results, from tackling marine pollution in the Black Sea, to advancing healthcare innovation in the Adriatic-Ionian region.

Executive Vice-President Raffaele Fitto underscored the increasing political relevance of EU Macro-Regional and Sea Basin Strategies, while Commissioner Cóstas Kadís stressed that Europe’s societal, environmental, security, and economic challenges demand not only rapid adaptation but also stronger cross-border cooperation. He underlined that these strategies are specifically designed to foster such coordination—delivering tangible results, from tackling marine pollution in the Black Sea, to advancing healthcare innovation in the Adriatic-Ionian region.

Commissioner Kadís also highlighted the role of macro-regional and sea basin strategies in supporting EU enlargement and strengthening cooperation with partner countries. He reaffirmed the EU’s commitment to protecting the oceans through the European Ocean Pact, and emphasized that Cohesion Policy and Interreg programmes will continue to play a central role in driving resilience, innovation, and sustainable development.

Participants shared concerns about the next EU budget period, stressing that now is the moment to advocate for the strategies and ensure that, in the final Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), the place-based approach remains visible and adequately resourced. Close collaboration with transnational Interreg programmes, particularly during the programming phase, was identified as essential for effective strategy implementation.

It was especially valuable to have numerous representatives from Interreg secretariats present, reaffirming the complementarity between strategies and funding programmes. While funding programmes provide financial instruments, the strategies offer continuity between projects and support the dissemination and upscaling of project outcomes.