Author: MSc Biljana Savić, Independent Researcher, Member of the International Scientific Forum „Danube – River of Cooperation“; Senior Expert Associate in Main Bank of Republika Srpska,  Central Bank of Bosnia and Herzegovina, savicbiljana333@gmail.com

Editorial notes:
One of the research areas of Biljana Savić is regional cooperation in Europe and Latin America. The results of her researches on macro-regional cooperation in the Sava river basin was published in a serial of four parts in the Danubius 2012. Now, an other macro-regional cooperation in which her country, Bosnia-Herzegovina take part was the subject of her research, she presented also at the 25th International Scientific Conference »Danube – River of Cooperation«, held 2014 in Bačka Palanka, Belgrade and Smederevo.

The reformed EU cohesion policy promotes macro-regional approach, assuming that the macro regions can strengthen the process of European cohesion. It is important that the macro-regional approach implies overcoming not only the administrative boundaries but also a variety of invisible borders and build a “macro-regional” awareness in order to preserve the common good and to achieve long-term development. The Region’s problems such as flooding, transport links, environmental protection, crime and socio-economic disparity know no borders. Macro regional strategies provide an integrated framework for a sustainable action to address these complex challenges and to maximize common assets. After two previously approved macro-regional strategy: The EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (2009) and the EU Strategy for the Danube Region (2011), the EU Strategy for the Adriatic-Ionian Region was officially adopted (2014). Its adoption was preceded by a long, successful cross-border and transnational cooperation among the countries of the Adriatic-Ionian region. There is no requirement that any given territory be part of only one macro-region so Bosnia and Herzegovina belongs to the Danube region and to the Adriatic-Ionian region.