Success Factors of Macro-Regional Cooperation: the Example of the Baltic Sea Region. Bruges Political Research Papers No. 12, March 2010

As illustrated by the recent adoption of the European Union Baltic Sea Strategy, a new level of governance seems to be emerging in the European integration process, i.e. the macroregional level. The present paper aims at identifying the necessary ingredients for successful macro-regional cooperation. It draws on the example of the Baltic Sea Region (BSR), where the combination of intense cooperation and of heterogeneity is particularly interesting to analyze. The author argues that effective macro-regional cooperation requires four factors: a common perception of interests, a common identity, a well-balanced cooperation method, and the involvement of the EU. The respective relevance of each of these factors is tested and some key strengths and weaknesses of cooperation in the Baltic Sea Region are identified