The Macro-Regional Strategies of the European Union: Between European Territorial Cooperation and Multi-Level Governance.

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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]