The European Commission welcomed the positive outcome on the new progress report on the implementation of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region. In addition, the European Council met on 23 and 24 of June and gave its endorsement to the EU Strategy for the Danube Region, adopted by the Commission last December.

The European Commissioner for Regional Policy Johannes Hahn, welcomed two developments that demonstrate the progress being made in the EU's policy for Macro-Regional Strategies. The first one is the positive outcome on the implementation of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region launched in 2009. The second one is the endorsed the EU Strategy for the Danube Region by the Heads of State and Government. Both strategies are based on a “macro-regional” approach. It brings countries together to cooperate on setting goals, aligning funding, and working together on shared challenges such as sea or river pollution, the need for better transport links, or more secure energy provisions. Some 15 Member States benefit from these new cooperative approaches.

The new progress report regarding the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region highlights that the Strategy facilitates new projects and it gives momentum to existing ones. But the Strategy is not solely focussed on projects; its integrated approach encourages better policy development and the alignment of funding and resources, resulting in a better implementation of the EU's overall objectives under Europe 2020. The report also makes some recommendations including regular discussions of the Strategy by ministers in Council meetings, setting targets to prioritise the Strategy's work and maximise efforts to align Structural Funds and other funding sources to the objectives of the Strategy.

The European Council's endorsement of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region has come six months after the Commission's adoption of the proposal in December 2010. Some 200 priority actions that can apply from now will contribute to developing the area's economic potential and improving environmental conditions. The strategy focuses on four main pillars which are connecting the Danube Region throughout improving mobility, encouraging sustainable energy and promoting culture and tourism; protecting the environment in the Danube Region throughout restoring water quality, managing environmental risks and preserving biodiversity; building prosperity in the Danube Region (developing research capacity, education and information technologies, supporting the competitiveness of enterprises and investing in people’s skills) and strengthening the Danube Region (stepping up institutional capacity and improving cooperation to tackle organised crime).

The Commission will also monitor the implementation progress of this strategy, as with that of the Baltic Sea Region, and will publish a first report at the end of 2012. The EU leaders called on all relevant actors to implement them without delay. Furthermore, Member States are invited to continue work in cooperation with the Commission on possible future macro-regional strategies, in particular as regards the Adriatic and Ionian region.