In December 2025, the European Council tasked the European Commission with developing an EU Strategy for the Atlantic Macro-Region. This initiative builds on the experience of existing macro-regional strategies and is aligned with the Atlantic Maritime Strategy, while fully respecting Member State competences and the principle of budgetary neutrality.
At its meeting on 18 December 2025, the European Council formally adopted conclusions approving the establishment of the Atlantic Macro-Region. This new macro-region will complement the current Baltic, Danube, Adriatic-Ionian, and Alpine Macro-Regions.
The European Council invited the European Commission, working closely with the Member States, to prepare the EU macro-regional strategy for the Atlantic area by June 2027.
According to the ESPON Final Report “Orientations for the Development of an Atlantic Macro-Region (Atlantic MRS)”, published in July 2025, the rationale for creating an Atlantic Macro-Region is grounded in a combination of strategic, geographic, environmental, economic, and political considerations.
From a strategic perspective, Atlantic coastal regions face shared challenges and opportunities that are more effectively addressed through a coordinated macro-regional framework than through isolated national actions. Enhanced cooperation under a macro-regional strategy would strengthen coordination among France, Ireland, Portugal, and Spain—potentially extending to the United Kingdom—while ensuring alignment with wider EU priorities such as the Green Deal and the digital transition.
Geographically, the Atlantic seaboard represents Europe’s primary link to the Americas, giving it significant importance for transatlantic trade and geopolitical relations. Cross-border areas, such as Northern Portugal and Galicia, have already developed advanced cooperation networks (including RESOE and CRUZOE), illustrating the added value of joint action in the Atlantic context.
Environmentally, Atlantic coastal and marine ecosystems are exposed to common risks that transcend national borders, including shoreline erosion, marine pollution, and biodiversity decline. These challenges affect the Bay of Biscay, the Celtic Sea, and the wider Atlantic Ocean alike. A macro-regional strategy would allow for coordinated climate adaptation and environmental protection measures, ensuring coherence and complementarity across national responses. It would also facilitate large-scale investment in offshore renewable energy—such as wind, wave, and tidal power—leveraging the Atlantic’s substantial natural resources in line with the EU’s climate neutrality objectives.
Despite their considerable strengths—including high renewable energy potential, major port infrastructure, strong marine and maritime research capacities, and distinctive tourism assets—Atlantic regions have not yet fully realised these advantages due to fragmented development approaches.
As highlighted in the 2023 Cardiff Declaration, there is a clear demand for a more integrated and strategic vision for the Atlantic area. The proposed Atlantic Macro-Region therefore represents a timely and appropriate response, addressing long-standing regional ambitions while providing a structured, long-term framework to confront emerging challenges through enhanced cooperation.
Finally, the integration of EU macro-regional strategies and their priorities into Interreg and other EU funding instruments will continue to be promoted in the 2028–2034 programming period, building on the embedding practices already in place during the current 2021–2027 period.
