On May 28, 2025, the European Union unveiled an updated Black Sea Strategy, aimed at enhancing security, fostering resilient infrastructure connections, and implementing environmental standards in one of the most complex and geopolitically sensitive regions in the world. The strategy covers Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, Turkey, Armenia, and Azerbaijan, underscoring the EU’s ambition to build a stable and prosperous “eastern corridor.”

1. Maritime Security: The Black Sea as a Strategic Front

One of the core pillars of the strategy is the strengthening of maritime security. The EU plans to establish a Regional Maritime Surveillance and Resilience Center, tasked with navigation monitoring, combating smuggling, responding to cyber threats, and addressing environmental disasters.

Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the Black Sea became not only a military theater but also a critical transit zone for grain, energy, and military logistics. The rising number of incidents involving naval mines, drones, and attacks on commercial vessels has highlighted the need for enhanced coordination among littoral states.

The EU is focusing on improving interoperability between the naval forces of Ukraine, Georgia, and NATO countries, including expanded cooperation with Turkey.

2. Infrastructure Connectivity: The Middle Corridor and Caucasus Trade Flow

The second focus of the strategy is transport and energy connectivity. The EU intends to support the development of trans-Black Sea transport routes, including:

- The Middle Corridor (Trans-Caspian International Transport Route), linking Europe and China via the Black Sea, South Caucasus, and the Caspian Sea;

- Infrastructure projects in Georgia and Azerbaijan, such as railway hubs, dry ports, and upgrades to bridges and tunnels;

- Support for digital infrastructure, including undersea cables, satellite communications, and 5G in border regions.

The EU views the Black Sea region as a gateway to Central Asia, offering an alternative to Russian and Iranian transit corridors.

3. Environmental Focus: From Sustainable Fisheries to Decarbonization

The third pillar of the strategy centers on environmental sustainability, including:

- The creation of a unified platform for monitoring Black Sea pollution;

- Support for decarbonizing port infrastructure;

- Programs on sustainable fishing and biodiversity, involving research institutions from Georgia, Bulgaria, and Ukraine.

For the first time, the EU has introduced environmental criteria as a condition for infrastructure funding — “green corridors” and electrified railways will receive priority.

This new strategy is not only an economic blueprint but also a political manifesto. Amid growing tensions in the Black Sea and South Caucasus regions, the EU:

- Seeks to balance relations between Turkey and Armenia;

- Supports Ukraine and Moldova on their path to EU integration;

- Increases its presence in Georgia, where political instability persists;

- Offers an alternative to China’s investment model through its Global Gateway initiative.

The EU’s goal is to create a belt of resilient partners, building a “ring of stability” stretching from the Balkans to the Caspian Sea.

Despite its ambitions, the strategy may face several obstacles:

- Instability in the South Caucasus, including internal protests and external threats;

- Resistance from Turkey, which views the Black Sea as part of its sphere of influence;

- Limited EU resources, especially with ongoing commitments in Ukraine and Moldova.

The EU’s Black Sea Strategy is an attempt to establish a new architecture of security and development in the region, prioritizing cooperation, sustainability, and integration without coercion. If implemented consistently, it could transform the region from a conflict zone into a space of opportunity.

Expert Group CCBS

#ANALYSIS

30.05.2025 07:29