Briefing - EU strategic approach to the Black Sea region - 22-05-2025
Following a request from the European Council in June 2024, the European Commission and the High Representative are due to adopt a joint communication on the EU strategic approach to the Black Sea region on 28 May 2025. This new initiative aims to: • offer a political vision regarding the Black Sea, based on an overview of the challenging security situation in the region following Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine; • re-confirm the EU's strategic interest in the Black Sea as well as its intention to continue to engage with like-minded partners in/from the region on a bilateral and/or regional level; • present a 'strategic approach' and not a 'strategy', displaying a lower level of ambition, which may represent a missed opportunity for the European Union to establish itself as a regional key player; • build on the experience and achievements of the Black Sea Synergy, a 2007 EU initiative aimed at promoting, on a voluntary basis, cooperation in/with the Black Sea region; • build coherence between the different EU polices and the Union's offer to the region; • re-confirm and re-cluster existing fields of cooperation in line with the Commission's priorities, giving precedence to security, connectivity and preparedness; • complement other EU initiatives relevant for the region, e.g. the Eastern Partnership and regional cooperation on the Danube River. The initiative is not expected to: • benefit from dedicated funding; it will rely on other EU policies and instruments; • precede an action plan with clear-cut implementation objectives; implementation will be difficult to assess and monitor.
Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP