EUSAIR - Final Report

The decision-making body is the Council of the Adriatic-Ionian Initiative
at the level of Ministers of Foreign Affairs, which meets once a year.
The Committee of High Representatives meets three times a year,
and round tables are the central form of activity at the level of experts
from the participating countries. They involve representatives of the economy,
civil society and the research sphere, as well as the parliaments of the
Member States, thus putting subsidiarity into practice as one of the fundamental
principles of EU activity.
Several institutional cooperation networks have been activated in support of
cohesion and competitiveness in the Adriatic-Ionian Region, such as the Adriatic
and Ionian Euroregion, the Adriatic and Ionian Cities Forum, the Adriatic-
Ionian Chamber of Commerce Forum and the Uniadrion University Forum.
In 2014, the European Council, on a proposal from the European Commission
and on the initiative of Italy, adopted the European Union's Macroregional
Strategy for the Adriatic-Ionian Region (EUSAIR), which upgrades
the presented political activity into even deeper cooperation, though
which does not envisage additional bodies or funds but deeper cooperation
and coordination of existing EU funds and mechanisms. The areas of activity
are the same and the Presidency of the AII and EUSAIR is simultaneous
and complementary in content.
In the initiative, Slovenia acts as a developed Mediterranean and maritime
country and takes the view that cooperation in this framework should focus
in particular on issues related to the sea and the coastal zone. In particular,
the importance of respecting mutual commitments, good neighbourly relations
and equal cooperation of all partners without exclusion is emphasized.
During its Presidency, Slovenia paid special attention to infrastructural connections,
the promotion of cooperation in the field of science and culture,
tourism and youth issues.
Slovenia chaired the Adriatic-Ionian Initiative from 1 June 2020 to 31 May 2021,
which is its third Presidency so far. At the same time, this was the first time
that the same country is also chairing the EU Council immediately afterwards.
The Slovene simultaneous Presidency of the AII and EUSAIR ended with
a joint ministerial conference and the adoption of the Izola Declaration.
Milan Jazbec, Ambassador,
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia
Final Report | 45