AN EU MACRO-REGIONAL CIVIL STRATEGY IN THE MAKING
STOCKHOLM, 9 NOVEMBER 2023
Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS), Secretariat,
Momma Reenstiernas Palace, Wollmar Yxkullsgatan 23 Stockholm, Sweden
Macro-regional strategies (MRS) are promising frameworks for collaboration in Europe involving both EU members and neighbouring countries. They aim to bring closer connected geographical areas to strengthen cooperation, where stakeholders jointly address today’s often complex societal challenges. Thereby contribute to economic, social, and territorial cohesion. Today, there are four macro-regional strategies: the Baltic Sea (EUSBSR), the Danube (EUSDR), the Adriatic-Ionian (EUSAIR) and the Alpine (EUSALP) macro-regions.
Civil society organisations play a crucial role in the successful implementation of the macro-regional strategies. Even if they operate under different conditions and circumstances in the macro-regions, they also have common goals addressing such issues as the climate change, the energy crisis, social questions, or the war in Ukraine. With their intermediary function they have a huge and frequently unused potential to contribute to the promotion of the European project.
The elaboration of a place-based EU macro-regional civil strategy offers a helping hand in this regard leading to the establishment of an institutionalised citizens’ dialogue across macro-regions. The Stronger.Together programme of European House Budapest with co-funding from the European Union aims to prepare a proposal for an EU macro-regional civil strategy by bringing together civil
society actors from the four macro-regions. One of the elements of the programme is a series of preparatory events/consultations on the macro-regional civil strategy.
The Baltic Sea Region has a long history of cooperation with the Norden Associations and the Council of the Baltic Sea States just to name two. Civil society including youth are involved in collaboration within existing structures. This event is an opportunity to share our experiences with colleagues from other parts of Europe and at the same time learn from them.
The programme of the event.
