Connecting the Region: la strategia macroregionale per i trasporti

This essay examines the macro-regional strategy of the European Union with specific reference to Pillar 2 of EUSAIR (the EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region), entitled "Connecting the Region", and focuses on transport infrastructures and policies. Framed within the broader context of the 2014-2020 European programming cycle and the Europe 2020 strategy, the macro-regional approach is presented as the latest frontier of cohesion policy, founded on an integrated, multi-level governance model that coordinates different actors, policies and existing funds rather than creating new ones. After outlining the international legal framework on transport (IMO, ICAO, UNECE) and the relevant EU primary and secondary law (Articles 90-100 TFEU, liberalisation packages for road, rail, maritime and air transport), the analysis focuses on key priority areas: trans-European transport networks (TEN-T), motorways of the sea, ports, maritime safety and intermodal connections with the hinterland. The essay then explores the multi-level governance of EUSAIR in the Italian system — national, regional and sub-regional — and the financial instruments supporting Pillar 2, including the Connecting Europe Facility, structural funds and national operational programmes (PON Infrastrutture e Reti). The reflection highlights both the potential of the macro-regional model in promoting territorial cohesion and sustainable mobility, and the structural weaknesses related to fund coordination and institutional alignment.