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Despite the European Union (EU)-sponsored economic and political reforms, the Western Balkans has made little to no progress in several fields, including post-conflict reconciliation, post-socialist economic transformation, and democracy. This situation threatens both regional stability and, more importantly, the EU integration process in the region. On the other hand, the EU is in crisis and its enlargement policy has lost its momentum. If alternative policies are not put in place in the Western Balkans, it would once again be dragged into a whirlpool of conflict. This study asserts that the EU Strategy for Adriatic and Ionian Region (EUSAIR), which is a Macro-Regional Strategy could serve as a more realistic integration tool in the Western Balkans and an alternative for EU membership.

This article investigates the rationale and activities of the European Union Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region (EUSAIR) established in 2014 with the objective of addressing macro-regional challenges—most importantly, the attempt to couple the protection of the Adriatic and Ionian seas with the area’s economic development—while progressively integrating Southeastern European states into the European Union through multi-level governance programmes. The results of this scheme, however, have been so far unsatisfactory. Through an examination of two highly salient issues pertaining to its development, oil and gas exploration in the Adriatic Sea and the building of a highway linking Greece to Italy, this article shows how the EUSAIR influences only marginally, if at all, states’ priorities and it does not yet contribute significantly to the building of cross-border cooperation and trust. Accordingly, the EUSAIR risks becoming irrelevant vis-a-vis the challenges that the macro-region is expected to confront.

The EU territorial cohesion policy with the Lisbon reform has been enriched with an additional tool: macro-regional strategies. They represent an integrated framework that allows the Union and the Member States to identify needs and respond to them using available resources in such a way that the macro-region can benefit from a sustainable environment and optimal socio-economic development. In essence, the Member States and third countries that share a certain natural asset (sea, river, mountain range, etc.) can coordinate their resources to address common challenges and achieve shared objectives, according to a multi-level governance approach. The aim of our work is to reconstruct the concept of multi-level governance and the process of creating a macro-regional strategy by analyzing existing strategies and taking stock of future ones. Finally, we will look at the prospects of these instruments, taking into account the possible evolutionary scenarios of the EU.

The main objective of the project Common strategies and best practices to IMprove the transnational PRotection of ECOsystem integrity and services - IMPRECO is to enhance the safeguarding of ecosystems and ecosystem services. Additionally, the aim of this project is to tackle their environmental vulnerability by strengthening the potential of the Protected Areas in biodiversity, ecosystems and ecosystem services conservation. This is expected to be addressed by maintaining it through their transnational networking located in the European Adriatic-Ionian Macro-Region. The aim of this research is: 1) to characterise the habitats and ecosystems involved in the coastal-marine protected areas considered; 2) to set a biodiversity baseline; 3) to understand what current ecosystems’ conditions are; 4) to build up a transnational biomonitoring programme of target species and habitats and 5) to assess their response to pilot actions. To do so, a transnational inventory of species, habitats, ecosystems and ecosystem services was established, starting with the seven coastal-marine protected areas involved in the project. Data collection was carried out using different sources of information: scientific literature, officially available data from NATURA 2000 Standard Data Forms, checklists from local biomonitoring programmes, personal observations and citizen science, historical maps and data from new in-field analyses. Data were filled in the transnational biodiversity geo-databases according to the NATURA 2000 standards about habitat features, species protection level and species features. The presence of alien species (non-indigenous species, NIS) was also acknowledged and references about data collection were provided in the databases according to the Darwin Core standards.

This contribution sheds light on the potential influence of EU macro-regions on territorial governance and, more in general, on the EU integration processes. From a theoretical perspective, EU macro-regions are seen as a natural consequence of subregionalisation processes, which emerged in the EU after 1989. Building on a careful analysis of the existing literature and empirical evidence, the study reflects on the capability of EU macro-regions, and especially of the EUSAIR, to influence the way in which countries are involved within EU integration processes and must adapt towards new spatial governance configurations This contribution shows both the potentialities and the limitations of this experimental initiative in addressing common territorial challenges.

The purpose of the thesis is to find out the contribution of national stakeholders in the decision-making process of the EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region (EUSAIR). Alongside other macro-regional strategies, EUSAIR is the recent strategy of the European Union which is characterized by multi-level governance, considering that the decision-making process involves different stakeholders from different level and sector. The literature argues that the supranational institutions are taking a central part in the decision-making of EUSAIR, due to funding resources, however, the literature also confirms that the role of the national stakeholders is considered influential as well. Even though the macro-regional cooperation is characterized by multi-level governance, which is involving different level actors in the process, the thesis debates that the national stakeholders are taking the essential part in the decision-making of EUSAIR through bargaining among national governments and further including more stakeholders from the NGOs and local society into taking an active role in the EUSAIR decision-making. O objetivo da dissertação é descobrir a contribuição das atores nacionais no processo de tomada de decisão da Estratégia da UE para a Região Adriática e Jônica (EUSAIR). Juntamente com outras estratégias macrorregionais, a EUSAIR é a estratégia recente da União Europeia, caracterizada pela governança em vários níveis, considerando que o processo de tomada de decisão envolve diferentes partes interessadas de diferentes níveis e setores. A literatura argumenta que as instituições supranacionais estão tendo um papel central na tomada de decisão da EUSAIR, devido ao financiamento de recursos, no entanto, a literatura também confirma que o papel das atores nacionais também é considerado influente. Embora a cooperação macrorregional seja caracterizada por governança multinível, que envolve diferentes atores de nível no processo, a dissertação debate que as atores nacionais estão assumindo o papel essencial na tomada de decisões da EUSAIR por meio de negociações entre governos nacionais e incluindo ainda mais atores das ONGs e da sociedade local na participação ativa no processo de tomada de decisão da EUSAIR.

This research aims at assessing the state of play of regional integration and multi-level governance in the Adriatic-Ionian region (AIR). More specifically, it provides a theory- framed evaluation of the added value, structural limits, and medium-to-long term challenges of regional cooperation in the AIR, vis-à-vis the area’s socio-political dynamics. The analysis focuses on the eight countries participating in the European Union Strategy for the Adriatic-Ionian Region (EUSAIR): Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Greece, Italy, Montenegro, Serbia, and Slovenia.

info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/FCT/5876/147304/PT UID/SOC/04647/2013 The paper describes the EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region (EUSAIR) focusing on its main characteristics (problems, challenges, development potential).The Region is described in respect to its location, coastline, main rivers, islands, flora, fauna and biggest cities and ports. The second part deals about the development potential (marine renewable energy, ex.) and the challenges of the Adriatic and Ionian Seas basins, such as overfishing, water pollution, as well as the issues of refugees. The third part presents the EUSAIR and its four pillars (Blue Growth, Connecting the Region, Environmental Quality, and Sustainable Tourism). The last part describes the maritime clusters in the Adriatic and Ionian Seas and how its features will predictably adapt to the EUSAIR guidelines. publishersversion published

International audience; Historically and geographically, the regions of the Adriatic-Ionian basin are very close to each other. However, we can observe that although they are so close, there are many differences and time has left its marks. Obviously now we have to work together to make the macro-region function as a whole, because the Adriatic and the Ionian Sea is a basin characterized by many activities: naval, transport, fishing, gas and Petroleum platforms, export-import activities, coastal and maritime tourism; All activities that can not thrive without being connected to each other, not only for their geographical proximity but also for shared values, which need to be enhanced and re-evaluated among the regions of this basin. Of course, in this area, we need to work for sustainable development, although I think it is a complex issue because it involves dealing with difficult issues: I have mentioned someone, like differences in development; But also the foresight of the future, which calls for consideration of all the dimensions of development, including all the regions which, as I shall later show, can not easily consider that they are parts of different states, and sovereignty and of state interes has to be addressed. To understand what actions need to be done, I have focused my attention on the factors that are important in shaping this kind of action and produce sustainable development. In general, the main factors that I have considered are system conditions, national interest, knowledge and information.The third dimension that leads us to the concept of academic communities and is tied to knowledge that is fundamental to sustainable development and which influences the definition of policies; I think knowledge is decisive today, as knowledge is exercised through categories, and the knowledge production systems and universities have to share this new power, and specialize in handling its different categories.; Dal punto di vista storico e geografico, le regioni del bacino adriatico-ionico sono molto vicine l’una all’altra; tuttavia, possiamo osservare che sebbene siano tanto vicine, ci sono molte differenze, che il tempo ha lasciato il suo marchio sulle aree circostanti. Ovviamente adesso dobbiamo lavorare tutti insieme per fare la differenza e far sì che la macroregione cominci a funzionare come un tutto, perché l’Adriatico in continuità con il mar Ionio è un bacino caratterizzato da molteplici attività: navali, di trasporto, pesca, gas e piattaforme petrolifere, attività di vendita ed esportazione, turismo costiero e marittimo; tutte attività che non possono prosperare senza essere in connessione le une con le altre, non solo per la vicinanza geografica ma anche per i valori condivisi, che hanno bisogno di essere potenziati e rivalutati tra le regioni di questo bacino. Naturalmente in quest’area bisogna lavorare per lo sviluppo sostenibile, sebbene io pensi che si tratti di una questione complessa, perché implica affrontare problemi cogenti: ne ho citato qualcuno, come le differenze nello sviluppo; ma anche la previsione del futuro, che richiede di prendere in considerazione tutte le dimensioni dello sviluppo, incluse tutte le regioni che, come mostrerò più tardi, non riescono facilmente a considerare di essere parti di Stati differenti, e bisogna affrontare questo aspetto, la questione della sovranità e dell’interesse statale. Per comprendere quali azioni sia necessario intraprendere, ho rivolto la mia attenzione sui fattori che risultano importanti nel dare forma a questo tipo di azione a favore di uno sviluppo sostenibile. In generale, i principali fattori che ho tenuto in considerazione sono le condizioni del sistema, l’interesse nazionale, la conoscenza e l’informazione.La terza dimensione che ci porta al concetto di comunità accademiche e legata con la conoscenza che sia fondamentale nello sviluppo sostenibile e che influenzi la definizione delle politiche; perché penso che la conoscenza sia decisiva oggi, in quanto la conoscenza, per quanto riguarda questo dibattito, si esercita attraverso categorie, e il sistema di produzione di conoscenza e le università devono condividere questo nuovo potere, essendo specializzati a gestire categorie. Dal momento che sempre più ambiti della vita sono sottoposti agli esperti per lo studio sistematico dei fattori casuali e degli effetti a essi correlati, risvegliando il ruolo della politica partecipativa nell’elaborazione della logica dei progetti di sviluppo, le università sono le depositarie finali di competenze, diventando i principali attori politici del nostro tempo nelle proprie aree di afferenza. In aggiunta ai loro altri compiti, legittimano la specializzazione nella gestione della cosa pubblica e l’unione di professionisti.

The Mediterranean Sea is complex in its physiography (the average depth is 1,500 m, the deepest point is 5,267 m, with large shallow areas, like in the North Adriatic), in its ecology, in its social dimensions, in terms of interconnections between human activities and environmental characteristics. Surrounded by 22 countries, the coasts of the Mediterranean Sea house more than 150 million inhabitants together with a unique natural and cultural heritage, with over 400 UNESCO sites and several Marine Protected Areas. Today, is felt that the peculiarities of the Mediterranean offer major local opportunities for Blue Growth, from fisheries and tourism to energy and maritime transport. All traditional as well as emerging maritime economic sectors currently operating in the Mediterranean are expected to grow and expand over the next years with a consequent need to better consider the environmental impacts. The need for protecting the vulnerable ecosystem has been recognized since the adoption in 1976 of the Convention for Protection of the Mediterranean Sea against Pollution (Barcelona Convention) by all countries with a Mediterranean shoreline as well as the European Union. The situation is more complicated from the point of view of the use of resources. Most Mediterranean States have established a 12-mile territorial sea, reduced to 6 mile in some cases, but few started the process for establishing Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), as defined and regulated by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (LOSC). Therefore, the existence of a large area of high seas in the Mediterranean requires a high level of cooperation between coastal states to ensure the sustainable utilization of resources (e.g. for fisheries). In this context, the challenge for a properly assessed allocation of marine space to the concurrent activities taking place on (and in) the sea, is higher, but probably also more necessary than elsewhere. The ADRIPLAN pilot project, focused in a part of Mediterranean quite complicated indeed, the Adriatic Ionian Region (AIR), is aimed to demonstrate that the MSP challenge in the Mediterranean is NOT a “mission impossible”. In ADRIPLAN we run an experiment, almost free from the complicated alignment of different national political decisions, but involving the local govern institutions closer to stakeholders’ and citizens’ needs, i.e. the Regions. All the main economic sectors were took into consideration and most of them participated actively to this experiment. The result is represented in this book. It is not a “real” Plan, as it is not binding for anyone, and does not involves or implies any endorsement of the Public Authorities (at any level) in the AIR. Nevertheless, ADRIPLAN is a “realistic” experiment, where the actual needs, desires, perspectives coming from the territories faced to the Adriatic and Ionian seas were taken into consideration. It represents a good step in the macroregional EUSAIR strategy, towards the adoption before the 2021, as required by the EU directive on MSP 2014/89/EU, of effective maritime plans in the area, providing guidelines and suggesting good practices valid for all the Mediterranean Sea. The proper spatial allocation of the activities is necessary also for reaching the goal of Good Environmental Status, as stated in the Marine Strategy Framework directive (2008/56/EC). Finally, It is worth to mention the renewed attention to the Mediterranean Sea paid in these last years by EU institutions. It has been a pleasure, for a “Mediterranean EU citizen” like me, to run this pilot project in parallel with the development of the BLUEMED initiative, a Strategic Marine and Maritime Research and Innovation Agenda for Blue Growth in The Mediterranean Sea, that is going to be launched when ADRIPLAN is ending. Supported by a coordinated R&I effort, the sustainable use of the Mediterranean’s richness, will help to put again this Marine Region at the centre, and not on the periphery of Europe. The future Mediterranean, shall be more peaceful, respectful of human rights and justice, lower in poverty and in social disparity than the present.

This document sets the policy for accessing data and information gathered by ADRIPLAN and will ensure that data are handled in a consistent and transparent manner. The policy aims to strike a balance between the rights of investigators and the need for widespread access through the free and unrestricted sharing and exchange of ADRIPLAN data, meta-data and data products. In agreeing to share, data providers need to have assurance that their data are properly handled, disseminated and acknowledged following similar principles and rules across countries and stakeholders. This policy covers data, metadata and products on maritime uses, environmental conditions and planning documents which are acquired, processed and disseminated in the framework of ADRIPLAN. ADRIPLAN doesn't collect any new data so the information it uses depends on the contribution from partners, according to their role in the project and the provisions of the Grant Agreement and the Partnership Agreement, and on data acquired from external sources. Part of the source data are provided directly by ADRIPLAN partners and a large part of data are made available by other organizations. Independent data policies associated to datasets and databases merged in the framework of ADRIPLAN will be included and correct citations will be assured. From source data, added value data products are created as part of ADRIPLAN’s duties. The main goals of this data policy are: to allow ADRIPLAN's partners to discover, access, process and use as many data as possible to develop valuable MSP plans proposals, through the ADRIPLAN Data Portal to provide partners with pertinent, sound, updated, and accurate information to capitalize knowledge, efforts and investments from existing projects and national and international experiences to ensure acknowledgement to owners and producers of the data and information they will provide to ADRIPLAN to ensure that the conditions that are applied to the provided data will be documented and respected in the ADRIPLAN Data Portal to promote the widest possible dissemination and reuse of ADRIPLAN's products and outputs, not only to partners in the project but also to stakeholders, public administrations and citizens to adopt and promote the best and the most open international rules and licenses for sharing and reuse of data &nbsp