Commission presents first-ever EU strategies for islands and coastal communities
The European Commission has unveiled the first-ever EU strategies for islands and coastal communities, creating a coordinated approach to support 17 million island residents and 95 million people living along Europe’s coastlines. The strategies address shared challenges such as isolation, high transport costs, climate vulnerability, demographic decline, biodiversity loss and economic seasonality, while unlocking opportunities for sustainable growth.
For islands, the strategy focuses on economic development, connectivity, innovation, clean energy, climate resilience, public services, and crisis preparedness. For coastal communities, it promotes a diversified blue economy, stronger climate adaptation, and more liveable, inclusive coastal areas, supported by measures such as maritime spatial planning, blue bioeconomy clusters, blue carbon certification and enhanced coastal adaptation tools.
Both strategies aim to integrate local needs into EU policymaking, strengthen resilience, and turn long-standing challenges into long-term opportunities for sustainable, competitive development across Europe’s islands and coasts.
