Overview
- Summit conclusions in Brussels request the European Commission to deliver an EU macroregional strategy for the Atlantic no later than June 2027.
- Spain, France, Portugal and Ireland back the initiative, with strong interest from regions including the Basque Country, Asturias, Galicia, Navarre and Aquitaine.
- Supporters frame the strategy as a way to coordinate policies and attract investment across the Atlantic arc from Ireland to the Cantabrian coast.
- Basque leaders welcomed the decision, with Imanol Pradales calling it a qualitative leap for the region’s presence and political weight in Europe.
- The Commission will draft the plan in cooperation with member states, drawing on the existing Atlantic Maritime Strategy, while funding and implementation remain to be defined.