Using Local Blue Assets as Tools for Sustainable Local Development

Organizer: EUSAIR Pillar 1 – Blue Sustainable Economy

Conclusions:

The use of local resources (blue assets), and innovative blue entrepreneurship, can contribute to the sustainable development of local communities, and the preservation of its population.

Energy Security through the Adriatic and Ionian Region while Confronting Emerging Threats and Future Risks

Organizer: EUSAIR Pillar 2 – Connecting the Region, Energy

Conclusions:

The session confirmed that ensuring energy security in the Adriatic-Ionian region requires a balanced and forward-looking approach — one that combines infrastructure development, market integration and coordinated investment with the sustained exchange of experience that the EUSAIR framework is uniquely placed to provide. By fostering joint initiatives and capitalising on existing cooperation instruments, the macro-region can advance towards energy systems that are more resilient, better interconnected, and equipped to address both current vulnerabilities and the long-term imperatives of the clean energy transition.

Boosting the Uptake of Sustainable Urban Mobility Policies: Best Practices and Ongoing Initiatives in the Adriatic-Ionian Cities

Organizer: EUSAIR Pillar 2 – Connecting the Region, Transport

Conclusions:

  • Cities in the Adriatic-Ionian region must transition towards integrated, low-emission transport systems aligned with EU objectives and TEN-T urban node requirements. Sustainable urban mobility requires systemic transformation, not incremental change.
  • Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) is a prerequisite for effective urban mobility policies. Investment in high-capacity systems such as metro and tram networks is essential. Without a strong MRT backbone, travel demand management measures (e.g. modal shift, restrictions on private car use) cannot be effectively implemented or socially accepted.
  • Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs) are critical governance tools. SUMPs provide a structured framework to coordinate infrastructure investment, policy measures, and stakeholder engagement, enabling cities to align with EU standards and funding priorities.
  • Integration, not fragmentation, defines successful urban transport systems. Physical infrastructure (e.g. MRT, cycling networks) must be combined with digital integration (ticketing, real-time data, multimodal platforms) to ensure accessibility and efficiency. Digital solutions—particularly Mobility as a Service (MaaS)—play a central role in integrating different transport modes and enabling efficient, door-to-door journeys.
  • Active mobility infrastructure is a strategic investment, not a complement. Expanding cycling and walking infrastructure supports decarbonisation goals, improves public health, and enhances the overall resilience of urban transport systems.
FROM SOURCE TO SAIS EBSA: Equitable River Management and Marine Spatial Planning to Protect the Resources of the Southern Adriatic Ionian Strait Ecologically or Biologically Significant Marine Areas (EBSA)

Organizer: EUSAIR Pillar 3 – Environmental Quality

Conclusions:

  • From Source to Sea – Integrated governance is key to protect shared water bodies across the Adriatic-Ionian Regio;
  • SAIS-EBSA is a strategic pilot area to balance biodiversity protection with sustainable use of marine resources;
  • Cross-border fair dialog is essential to make marine spatial planning an effective and implementable tool.
From Vision to Action: Advancing Sustainable Tourism in the EUSAIR Region

Organizer: EUSAIR Pillar 4 – Sustainable Tourism

Conclusions:

  • Core positioning The Mediterranean Diet is more than a food model. It is a living cultural practice rooted in sustainability, community life and knowledge passed down across generations.
  • Regional vision (youth perspective) The Adriatic-Ionian region has real conditions to become one of Europe’s leading sustainable multi-destination areas, but only through genuine cross-country cooperation, not parallel national efforts.
    This kind of regional approach brings concrete gains:

    • less dependence on peak-season tourism
    • more even distribution of revenue across destinations
    • better transport links and physical accessibility
    • a shared regional identity that gives travelers a reason to stay longer and travel further
  • Final Message from Youth: The future of tourism in the Adriatic-Ionian region is not isolated national tourism models, but a connected, accessible and sustainable regional tourism system.
  • Rural tourism Scale is not what makes a rural destination work. Authenticity and a clear local identity are.
    Sustainable rural tourism grows from strong local initiative, community cooperation and a long-term vision that people actually share, not one imposed from outside. Supporting local producers is part of this logic: it preserves tradition, keeps quality high and gives visitors something they can’t find anywhere else.
  • The point: Authenticity and local ownership aren’t soft values, they’re what makes rural tourism models both distinctive and replicable.
Empowering Youth with Skills and Entrepreneurship for a Resilient EUSIAR Region

Organizer: EUSAIR Pillar 5 – Improved Social Cohesion

Conclusions:

Investing in youth skills and entrepreneurship is not a social policy measure — it is a prerequisite for the long-term competitiveness and resilience of the entire region. The panel substantiated that argument at multiple levels, from EU policy frameworks to the personal account of a startup founder.

The 11th EUSAIR Annual Forum in Skopje demonstrated that the framework for cooperation is in place. The question that remains is not whether action is possible, but whether joint initiatives will translate into concrete, measurable steps that reach the young people they are designed to serve.

Youth at the Helm: Navigating Meaningful Participation in Macro-Regions

Organizer: EUSAIR Youth Council

Conclusions:

At the forum, it was the first time that all the youth structures from all the macro-regional strategies were present together. The forum was a great opportunity for the youth to exchange experiences, and share best practices, this was essential in order to further enhance the collaboration and reach among the youth structures.

EUSAIR as a Driver of EU Enlargement: from Cooperation to Concrete Results

Organizer: Presidency and EUSAIR Facility Point governance support project and Centre of European Perspective

Conclusions:

The session reaffirmed that one of the main strengths of EUSAIR lies in its bottom-up and participatory approach, bringing together different stakeholders in a shared cooperation framework.

Discussions highlighted the importance of EUSAIR as an inclusive platform that enables countries to jointly address challenges, exchange experiences, and develop practical solutions rooted in real needs on the ground, while also exploring ways to further strengthen its role and contribution through continued collaboration and stakeholder engagement.

From ideas to action: EUSAIR Cooperation Model for Implementation Formats Development

Organizer: SP4EUSAIR – EUSAIR governance support project

Conclusions:

It is necessary to structure the ideation phase so that stakeholder input improves decision-making, without increasing the burden on TSGs, thus creating a more efficient and scalable process for developing implementation formats.