4th Research Forum session of the academic year 2025-2026

Date: Thursday, February 19th, 2026

Time:  12pm 1:30pm

Room: 40.257 Roger de Llúria, Campus: Ciutadella

Speaker: Andrea Noferini, Universitat Pompeu Fabra

Chair: Javier Arregui Moreno, Universitat Pompeu Fabra

Presentation - "Territorial Governance and Public Policies in the European Union: From Euroregions to Macroregions"

Abstract

Officially endorsed by the European Council, Macro-Regional Strategies (MRS) represent policy and governance frameworks designed to address shared challenges across large-scale geographical areas involving both EU and non-EU territories. To date, four strategies have been approved: the Baltic Sea (EUSBSR), the Danube (EUSDR), the Adriatic-Ionian (EUSAIR), and the Alpine (EUSALP) regions. With a fifth strategy for the Atlantic currently in development, momentum has shifted toward the Mediterranean basin, characterized by high institutional density but significant fragmentation.

While existing initiatives and organizations such as the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), the WestMED Initiative, and various Interreg programs (e.g., Euro-MED) target regional cooperation, their overlapping mandates often limit their impact. This seminar evaluates whether a Mediterranean MRS can serve as an effective "cooperation umbrella" to align fragmented policy initiatives and address pressing challenges like climate change, sustainability, and economic recovery, or whether it will simply contribute to institutional fatigue. The seminar outlines a research proposal focused on the conditions under which an MRS can enhance territorial cooperation and policy effectiveness in the Mediterranean basin. It will detail the study’s theoretical foundations, core research questions, methodological framework, and expected contributions.

About the Speaker

Andrea Noferini is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Political and Social Sciences at Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF). Prior to joining UPF, he held a
postdoctoral position in EU Integration Studies at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) and served as the academic director of the diplomatic school of Barcelona (CEI International Affairs).

He has collaborated extensively with think tanks and public administrations across Catalonia and Spain—including IBEI, IEMed, CIDOB, the Government of Catalonia, and the Barcelona City Council—as well as international organizations such as the UNDP and the European Commission.

His research focuses on territorial cooperation, multilevel governance, EU cohesion policy, and the mobilization of sub-state governments, alongside public policies concerning internationalization, sustainability, and local economic development.

Link session: meet.google.com/ggs-zxgs-fxu