The role of the EU’s macro-regional policy in fostering the competitiveness of the Baltic Sea Region. Assessing the policy frameworks

This article presents the analysis of the EU’s macro-regional policy as a framework to enhance competitiveness and sustainable development. The Baltic Sea Region (BSR) – a home for the first EU’s macro-regional strategy launched in 2009 – is used as a case study. Focusing on the strategy’s objective "increase prosperity", the author examines policy changes leading to the EUSBSR Action Plan of 2021. Based on qualitative analysis of EU documents and BSR’s institutional potential, two hypotheses are verified: (1) the BSR’s approach to competitiveness has evolved to be more proactive, holistic, and sustainability-oriented; (2) this shift aligns with EU political context, EUSBSR maturity and regional socio-economic development. The research demonstrates that the macro-regional framework effectively integrates diverse competitiveness approaches, being a promising tool in fostering competitiveness in the EU.