On 16 September 2025, the Council of the European Union officially adopted its Conclusions on the Fifth Report on the Implementation of EU Macro-Regional Strategies (MRS), which was published by the European Commission earlier this year.
These Conclusions reaffirm the crucial contribution of the four EU macro-regional strategies to strengthening regional cooperation, building resilience, and fostering integration across Europe.

Key Highlights

Recognition of MRS Value: The Council acknowledges macro-regional strategies as essential tools for boosting cooperation, mutual trust, preparedness, and resilience—especially in the face of geopolitical and environmental challenges.
Support for Enlargement and Neighbourhood Cooperation: MRS are highlighted as effective platforms that allow EU candidate countries and neighbouring states to collaborate on equal terms with Member States. This helps align national legislation with EU law, strengthen administrative capacity, and advance EU enlargement efforts.
Focus on Competitiveness and Resilience: The Conclusions stress the need to prioritize economic competitiveness, a just energy transition, security, resilience, and demographic change.
Role in Green, Digital, and Fair Transitions: Macro-regional strategies are encouraged to keep driving Europe’s green and digital agendas while ensuring inclusivity, fairness, and improved quality of life.
Governance and Stakeholder Involvement: The Council calls for stronger governance structures, active stakeholder engagement, and more effective decision-making processes.
Integration into EU Funding: The Conclusions welcome the growing inclusion of MRS priorities in EU funding programmes—particularly Interreg—and encourage continued integration throughout the full programming period.

Communication and Visibility: The Council stresses the importance of increasing public awareness and clearly showcasing the achievements of macro-regional strategies.

The full text of the Council Conclusions can be accessed [here].