EUSAIR gets youth power boost with 20-member Council

The European Union Strategy for the Adriatic-Ionian Region (EUSAIR), a political framework through which ten countries around the Adriatic and Ionian Seas cooperate, has established an advisory body where young people under the age of 30 will present their proposals.

The EUSAIR Youth Council has 20 members, two each from Croatia, Italy, Slovenia, Greece, San Marino, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania, and North Macedonia, CE Report quotes HINA.

They are expected to contribute to the work of experts with their fresh perspectives and knowledge, stated EUSAIR, which was founded ten years ago.

The Adriatic-Ionian region is home to 70 million people. Many young people are leaving the area for Western countries in search of jobs, while their home regions face environmental pollution.

"Through cooperation and experience-sharing, we believe these ambitious young people can come up with high-quality solutions," said Lidija Pansegrau Hadrović, Croatia's national coordinator for EUSAIR from the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs.

EUSAIR serves as a framework through which EU candidate countries like Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro cooperate with EU member states like Croatia and Greece. By working on joint projects related to environmental protection, cultural heritage preservation, and transport connectivity, they gain experience in using EU funds, which brings them closer to the European Union while helping Brussels ensure stability at the EU's borders.

Last year, EUSAIR launched a public call for young applicants. Following a selection process, 20 individuals were chosen. They will meet several times a year, both in person and online, and will work with EUSAIR officials to shape their ideas. The Youth Council met in person for the first time at the end of November in Dubrovnik, and will meet again this week on the Greek island of Crete, where the Adriatic-Ionian Region Annual Forum begins on Tuesday.

At the founding meeting in Dubrovnik, members of the Youth Council deepened their knowledge through lectures on EU funds, cohesion policy, and macro-regional strategies. Coordinators presented the basics and activities of all five thematic EUSAIR pillars: blue growth, regional connectivity (transport and energy), environmental quality, sustainable tourism, and social cohesion.

The recently established fifth pillar, also called the social pillar, is coordinated by Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The fourth pillar, sustainable tourism, is coordinated by Croatia and Albania.

The Youth Council members, divided into working groups, discussed potential solutions to issues and possible actions within the EUSAIR framework. They assigned roles and functions within the Youth Council, and during the forum in Crete they will hold a panel where their proposed actions are expected to be announced.