The EU Strategy for the Adriatic-Ionian Region (EUSAIR) – An Effective Governance Tool Helping to Prepare for Enlargement of the Western Balkan?

In 2014, then-Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker announced that EU enlargement would be put on hold, marking a period of strategic recalibration for the Union. That same year, the European Union Strategy for the Adriatic-Ionian Region (EUSAIR) was launched, signaling the EU’s ongoing commitment to regional integration, particularly in the Western Balkans. However, Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine since 2022 has repositioned enlargement as a central issue on the EU’s political agenda. In the shadow of the EU’s recognition of Ukraine and Moldova as candidate status, the engagement with Western Balkan states—e.g., Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, and North Macedonia—was renewed. EU macro-regional strategies, including the EUSAIR, are designed to establish multi-level governance architectures to address shared transnational challenges, with a focus on infrastructure, economic development, and the protection of the environment. Similar to the EUSAIR, there are macro-regional strategies for the Baltic Sea, Danube, and Alpine regions, too, encompassing 19 member states and 10 partner countries. The EUSAIR holds particular geopolitical significance due to its inclusion of several countries aspiring for EU membership. The region, however, remains deeply affected by geopolitical rivalries, with the EU, China, and Russia vying for influence, alongside enduring internal conflicts. This paper critically assesses the extent to which the EUSAIR’s governance architecture has been effective in managing these competitive pressures. Using a governance perspective, this analysis explores whether the EUSAIR has successfully coordinated regional cooperation or if bilateral initiatives such as the Berlin Process have overshadowed it as the dominant mechanism for addressing the region’s challenges.