In its conclusions of 18 December 2025, the European Council invited the European Commission, working together with Member States, to develop an EU macro-regional strategy for the Atlantic by June 2027. This commitment, set out in point 30 of the conclusions, marks a renewed political focus on the Atlantic area as a space for strengthened European cooperation
The European Council specifies that any future macro-regional strategy should take account of existing frameworks, in particular the Atlantic Maritime Strategy and the Atlantic Action Plan 2.0. The intention is not to duplicate current initiatives, but to build on them, bringing greater coherence, visibility and strategic direction through a macro-regional approach.
The Atlantic area faces a range of shared challenges and opportunities, including climate change adaptation, maritime safety, sustainable development of the blue economy, energy, connectivity and territorial cohesion. A macro-regional strategy could offer a more structured framework to align EU policies, funding instruments and cooperation between Atlantic EU Member States and regions.
This invitation also highlights the continued relevance of EU macro-regional strategies as tools for addressing shared territorial challenges in a coordinated manner. At the same time, it raises legitimate questions about the necessity of establishing a new macro-regional strategy, particularly in a context where existing strategies continue to face challenges related to governance, resourcing, political ownership and implementation capacity. The discussion on an Atlantic macro-regional strategy should therefore go beyond geography alone and include a careful assessment of added value, coherence with existing instruments, and lessons learned from current macro-regions.
By setting a clear deadline of 2027, the European Council places responsibility on the Commission and Member States to reflect not only on ambition, but also on feasibility and long-term sustainability. How these issues are addressed will be decisive in determining whether a future Atlantic macro-regional strategy can deliver meaningful results and effectively complement the EU’s wider territorial and maritime policies.
An additional consideration is the need to involve civil society organisations from the very outset of the design process for any new EU macro-regional strategy. Experience from existing macro-regions shows that early and structured participation by civil society improves relevance, legitimacy and implementation on the ground. In this context, Connect, the macro-regional CSO Network is ready to contribute its experience, knowledge and transnational perspective, and to engage constructively with EU institutions and Member States as discussions on a possible Atlantic macro-regional strategy move forward.
