Document
Black Sea Synergy: review of a regional cooperation initiative
The present report covers the period 2009 until 2014. It offers a review of the Black Sea Synergy regional cooperation initiative and highlights a number of "lessons learnt" which will inform the future development of the Synergy.
- Posted on: 17.07.2015
- Year of publication: 2015
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The Black Sea Synergy Initiative aims to focus political attention at the regional level and invigorate ongoing cooperation processes. In so doing it takes account of the range of EU policies and programmes applicable to the EU's differentiated relations with the countries of the region. Its primary objective is to further cooperation within the Black Sea region and between the region as a whole and the EU. The Synergy is intended as a flexible framework that will ensure greater coherence and policy guidance. It envisages a bottom-up project development approach aimed at building on concrete deliverables in the environment, maritime affairs, fisheries, maritime transport, energy, education, civil society, cross border cooperation and research fields.
Background
The Black Sea Synergy initiative was proposed by the European Commission in a Communication to the Parliament and the Council in April 2007 1 . The European Parliament highlighted the importance of strengthened cooperation between the European Union and the countries of the region in its Resolution of 17 January 2008 2 . The Black Sea Synergy was formally launched at a joint meeting of European Union and Black Sea Foreign Ministers in Kiev in February 2008.
In June 2008, the European Commission released a report 3 on the first year of implementation of the Black Sea Synergy. The report described the progress achieved in implementing the tasks set by the 2007 Communication and produced a number of forward-looking proposals, including the establishment of three sectoral partnerships: environment, transport and energy.
Since then, the environmental partnership has produced tangible results in a number of focus areas 4 , while new areas of cooperation such as the cross-cutting integrated maritime policy have emerged. Since 2009, the European Union (EU) has invested nearly EUR 140 million in the region.
The European Parliament in 2011 adopted a second resolution calling for the further development of the EU's polices towards the Black Sea region.
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