EC and HR/VP Issue Joint Communication on EU’s Strategic Approach to the Black Sea Region

The European Commission and the High Representative for EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy issued a Joint Communication to the EU Parliament and the Council, which outlines the strategic approach of the Union to the Black Sea region. The communication comes amid the worsened security situation in the region, and the region’s increasing strategic importance for European security. The document states that “the EU is stepping up with a comprehensive approach”, stressing the “significant geostrategic importance” of the Black Sea region. The document says the bloc is committed to supporting the democratic resilience of a region “vital to Europe’s stability and prosperity”, and to “asserting the EU interests”.

The document stresses the Black Sea region’s importance in bridging Europe to Asia, “with untapped potential for economic development, strategic transit routes especially for access to energy resources and critical raw materials.”

It also emphasizes that the EU is “committed to supporting Ukraine and its neighbours, by upholding their independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, fostering peace and dialogue, providing security guarantees and contributing to recovery and reconstruction.”

Beyond country-specific references, the new strategy presents a sweeping regional vision structured around three pillars: enhanced security and resilience, sustainable economic development, and environmental and climate protection. The EU aims to transform the Black Sea into a secure, interconnected, and prosperous region, anchored in democratic principles and regional cooperation.

The EU will implement the new strategic approach to the Black Sea in synergy with the enlargement process and the Eastern Partnership policy, which provides a well-established framework for cooperation. Engagement and collaboration with strategic partners in the Black Sea region will be reinforced by leveraging the Eastern Partnership actions across all key areas, including people-to-people exchanges and civil society engagement, alongside cooperation on education, culture, youth, and gender equality that will provide an important human dimension to the EU’s approach.

EU officials say the plan deepens connectivity with the Caucasus and Central Asia, citing follow-up steps from the April 2025 Central Asia–EU Summit and a Joint Roadmap to intensify cooperation on trade, transport, and digital links. These efforts fall under a growing regional Connectivity Agenda that seeks to bind Europe more closely with its eastern neighbors through economic interdependence.

Financing for the initiative will be powered in large part by the EU’s Global Gateway investment strategy, backed by additional funds from member states, development banks, and the European Investment Bank. The EU plans to coordinate these efforts with national reform agendas—specifically naming the Ukraine Plan, Moldova’s Growth Plan, and Armenia’s Resilience and Growth Package. Azerbaijan is also singled out for investment cooperation.

The scope and speed of implementation will depend heavily on the evolving security landscape in the region. Ongoing conflict, particularly Russia’s continued war of aggression against Ukraine, remains a major variable. To manage this uncertainty, the EU plans to draw from a diverse toolbox of funding instruments—ranging from Horizon Europe and Erasmus+ to the European Peace Facility and ReArm Europe Plan—spanning defense, education, infrastructure, and climate resilience.

“The EU aims to support interested partners in EU integration by strengthening the rule of law, democracy, and climate resilience,” the communication says, adding that: “gradual integration of candidate countries and their involvement in EU initiatives will offer tangible benefits to citizens and address challenges already prior to accession.”

The special point is made regarding the alignment of the partners in the region to the EU Common Foreign and Security Policy, including sanctions and defence policy. “Particular focus will be on enforcement of the EU restrictive measures on Russia and Belarus, notably tackling sanctions circumvention,” the communication stresses.

To oversee progress, the European Commission and the EU’s foreign policy chief have proposed a dedicated ministerial meeting with Black Sea partner countries. The gathering would serve to align national efforts with EU priorities and track milestones under the new strategy.

Georgia in the Joint Communication

While Georgia was mentioned alongside Ukraine and Moldova as a key regional partner, the report notes that Georgia is currently no on the EU path: “The EU’s role and responsibility in the Black Sea region is increasing, particularly with the opening of accession negotiations with Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova; and with Georgia, should the country revert to the EU path,” the strategy reads.

The EU’s latest strategic approach also underlines Georgia’s ongoing role in several foundational frameworks—such as the Association Agreement, Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA), the Eastern Partnership, and the Interreg NEXT Black Sea Basin Programme—emphasizing that Georgia remains essential to broader regional cooperation.

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