Post by Ukrainian Institute for International Politics

🇪🇺 Macro-regional Strategies as an Opportunity for EU Candidate Countries During the Macro-regional & Sea Basin Strategies Days 2026, particular attention was given to the role of macro-regional strategies in supporting countries on their path towards EU membership. DG REGIO sees these strategies as a window of opportunity for candidate countries. They provide a practical framework for engaging in the implementation of EU policies well before accession. Moreover, their potential extends far beyond Chapter 22 – Regional Policy and Coordination of Structural Instruments, for which DG REGIO is responsible. During the discussion, Rostyslav Tomenchuk, Development Director at the Ukrainian Institute for International Politics, emphasised that macro-regional strategies bring together ministerial teams across different policy areas to work jointly on the implementation of EU policies. These include transport networks, environmental standards, social policy, skills development and vocational education and training reform, biodiversity, energy efficiency, EU Missions, Smart Specialisation, the New European Bauhaus, logistics and border crossing infrastructure, research and innovation, as well as support for small and medium-sized enterprises. In practice, macro-regional strategies provide a framework through which the vast majority of EU accession chapters can be implemented. For candidate countries, they also create opportunities to: ▪️ combine different financial instruments to implement joint projects ▪️ build long-term partnerships and participate in calls under EU programmes ▪️ integrate into European value chains and strengthen business cooperation ▪️ develop municipal partnerships, joint research initiatives and large-scale collaborative projects To deepen the involvement of candidate countries in the governance of macro-regional strategies, it is important to establish permanent consultation mechanisms and structured platforms for cooperation. One possible approach would be to create dedicated sub-groups focused on integrating candidate countries across the priority areas of the strategies. It is equally important to organise dedicated sessions on progress under individual negotiation chapters, while creating specific participation formats for local authorities and the business community. The project “Analytical Support to Ukraine’s EU Accession Negotiations under Chapter 22” is implemented by the Ukrainian Institute for International Politics with the support of the International Renaissance Foundation and the European Union in Ukraine. Interreg EU Neighborhood & Enlargement