The EU strategies for islands and coastal communities
The European Commission has presented two new strategies: one for the EU's island communities and one for coastal communities. This is the first coordinated EU approach to support these areas and strengthen their long-term development potential. The strategies address the needs of the people living in these areas. Around 17 million people live on over 4,000 islands in 16 EU countries. Around 95 million people live along the EU's 70,000 kilometres of coastline and coastal areas, spread across 22 Member States.
The EU will strengthen island and coastal communities through a comprehensive policy that links environment, transport, economy, energy, security and demography. The aim is to turn challenges into opportunities for these areas, and ensure that they are given a greater place in the EU's work going forward. Many of the islands in the Member States are characterised by, among other things, weak connections, geographical isolation, dependence on fossil energy sources, seasonal economies, high transport costs, limited access to essential services and population decline. Coastal communities have important maritime, cultural and environmental value. At the same time, they are also affected by pollution, climate change, loss of biodiversity, lack of affordable housing and limited job opportunities. The two strategies should complement each other and strengthen the quality of life, resilience and economic opportunities of island and coastal communities.
A forward-looking strategy for Europe's island communities
The strategy aims to ensure that the challenges and needs of island communities are incorporated into EU policies. It is based on four main areas:
Economic development, connectivity, competitiveness and innovation: strengthening entrepreneurship, more diverse local economies, sustainable tourism and digitalisation, while addressing challenges related to infrastructure and digital connectivity
Energy security, environmental protection and climate adaptation: promoting decarbonisation, renewable energy, climate adaptation and the protection of natural diversity
Local communities and demographics: strengthen public services, healthcare, housing, education and social inclusion to counteract emigration and retain young residents
Security and crisis preparedness: strengthening resilience against natural disasters, maritime risks and emerging threats
The strategy emphasises the need for tailor-made local solutions, recognising the diverse needs of coastal communities – from remote fishing villages to large port cities. It will involve closer dialogue between EU institutions and stakeholders representing island communities, as well as measures such as technical support, capacity building and sharing of good practices. Member States are encouraged to include targeted measures for island communities in the upcoming National and Regional Partnership Plans, which will be mandatory for Member States in the next EU budget period (2028-2034). Member States are also encouraged to develop investment tools targeting island communities.
A strategy for strong coastal communities
The EU Strategy for Coastal Communities aims to support targeted measures for economic development, quality of life and climate adaptation. The strategy has three main priorities:
Increased value creation: strengthening a competitive and diverse blue economy, including through bioeconomy, fishing tourism, new business models, offshore renewable energy and innovation
Greater resilience: making coastal communities better equipped to face environmental challenges, climate change, economic and social vulnerability, as well as security challenges – including through the OceanEye initiative
Better quality of life: developing vibrant, inclusive and attractive local communities where people of all ages can live, work and thrive, while preserving maritime cultural heritage and local identity
The strategy also points to concrete measures, including giving coastal communities a stronger role in maritime spatial planning through the upcoming EU Ocean Act, providing support for maritime clusters and value chains through local projects, and developing a certification system for blue carbon credits . Climate adaptation will also be strengthened through risk assessments, investment planning and capacity building. This will be done in cooperation with, among others, the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the societal missions for climate adaptation, healthy oceans and rivers in the Horizon Europe program.
Background
The two strategies have been developed on the basis of public consultations and input from affected communities. The aim is to ensure that the specific needs of island and coastal communities are reflected in future proposals and aligned with the EU's overall priorities. Both strategies are linked to the European Ocean Pact launched in 2025 and complement the EU's work on cohesion, climate and sustainable development.
The EU's overseas territories are not covered by the two strategies as a separate strategy has been presented for this. These regions are referred to as the EU's outermost regions and include French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte, Réunion and Saint-Martin (France), the Azores and Madeira (Portugal) and the Canary Islands (Spain).
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Communication EU coastal communities