The role of actors in environmental-oriented cross-border and transnational cooperation in the Adriatic Ionian region

Cooperation plays a vital role in solving environmental problems especially when it comes to fragmented regions such as the Adriatic Ionian region. This paper examines the impact of transnational and cross-border cooperation on environmental projects in the 2014–2020 programming period of the European Union. Actor-network analysis helps understand the dynamics among 127 actors across four major EU programmes (Interreg strands A and B). In the results, regional authorities emerge as ‘leader’ and ‘broker’ actors, playing a special role in promoting cross-border cooperation. However, the limited involvement of smaller non-EU actors points to opportunities for growth. The development of this network would lead to a stronger resilience of the region, facilitate the solving of environmental problems, and thus contribute holistically to the promotion of sustainable development.