European Commission adopts first-ever EU strategies for islands and coastal communities
10 June 2026
The European Commission has adopted its first dedicated strategies for EU islands and coastal communities, marking an important step towards a more coordinated and tailored approach to supporting these territories and unlocking their long-term potential.
At the crossroads between land and sea, Europe's coastal communities are a vital asset. They combine rich environmental, cultural and maritime heritage with strong potential to drive a sustainable blue economy. At the same time, Europe's coastal communities are at the frontline of climate change, marine and coastal biodiversity loss, and marine pollution, which impact their long-term resilience and economic growth. Some also face additional pressures, including imbalanced tourism, shortage of affordable housing, seasonality of economic activity and limited job opportunities, leading to youth outmigration and economic instability.
A future-proof strategy for Europe's islands
The strategy aims to integrate the needs of islands and reflect the challenges they face into broader EU policies adapted to their specific needs. It is structured around four key pillars:
- Economic development, connectivity, competitiveness and innovation: boosting entrepreneurship, diversified local economies, sustainable tourism, and digitalisation, while tackling the connectivity gaps that constrain island economic activity and life.
- Energy security, environmental protection and climate resilience: accelerating decarbonisation, renewable energy, climate adaptation, and biodiversity protection.
- Communities and demography: strengthening public services, healthcare, housing, education and social inclusion to reverse depopulation and retain young people.
- Security and crisis preparedness: reinforcing resilience against natural disasters linked to climate crisis, maritime risks and other emerging threats.
The strategy seeks to better integrate the needs of islands into broader EU policies and encourages Member States to include targeted measures for islands in future national and regional partnership plans. It also promotes stronger dialogue between EU institutions and island stakeholders, alongside capacity-building measures and the exchange of good practices.
Both strategies align with the European Ocean Pact (launched in 2025) and complement broader EU policies on climate action, cohesion, and sustainable development. EU Outermost Regions, however, are not covered by these proposals, as they are addressed under a separate dedicated strategy—recognising their unique status under Article 349 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. That strategy will be presented later this year.