Report concerning the governance of macro-regional strategies

Summary:

Report published by the European Commission in May 2014 concerning the governance of macro-regional strategies.

Further information:

Since the start of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region in 2009, Europe has seen a growing interest in cooperation in greater European regions. Macro-regional strategies represent a new opportunity for comprehensive development of a larger region, addressing common challenges and potential. They represent a clear EU value added, and existing EU horizontal policies are reinforced.

They respond to matters such as:
- the deterioration of the environmental state of the Baltic Sea;
- unused potential for improved navigability and water quality for an attractive Danube Region;
- economic, social and environmental diversity and fragmentation in the Adriatic Ionian Region, and
- territorial, economic and social imbalances between cities and rural areas in the Alps, to be addressed in a potential future EU Strategy for the Alpine Region.

Their integrated approach also allows important overall policy objectives, such as mainstreaming of climate action, as well as support for a low-carbon economy and climate resilient society, to be incorporated in regional development work.

This Report responds to the Council invitation to facilitate discussions to improve governance of macro-regional strategies, and to report by end-2014. Better governance must clarify what is required for the success of the approach, including responsibility being more effectively taken by the countries that initiated the strategies.

• Primary Source

• Alternative Source

Official

European Commission: Press release, 21/05/2014: Report on Governance of the Macro-Regional Strategies http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-14-367_en.htm

Council of the European Union, 28/11/2014: Council conclusions on the governance of macro-regional strategies https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/sources/docoffic/official/communic/baltic/concl_governance_macro-regional.pdf

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