THE DANUBE REGION STRATEGY AS INDICATOR FOR THE EU MACRO-REGIONAL STRATEGY APPROACH

STRATENSCHULTE Eckart D. (Director of the European Academy Berlin and teaches Political Science at the Free University Berlin), eds@eab-berlin.eu

In 2011, the European Union adopted the EU Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR) (European Commission, 2010) in the hope that this would enable improvements to the economic and social situation in the Danube Region. This article takes as its topic the question why the EU has recourse to the method of macro-regional strategies at all, and what differentiates the Danube Region Strategy from the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR), which is supposed to be a blueprint for further macro-regional strategy approaches. In addition, the question is addressed as to whether the Danube Region Strategy is able to function, and, if this is the case, whether it does so. In conclusion, there are reflections on whether this strategic approach may be a contribution towards further development of the European Union.

Keywords: European Union, Danube Region, macro-regional strategies, development, Baltic Sea Region