On 24 April 2026, the 24th meeting of the Thematic Steering Group on Transport (TSG2) of the EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region was held online via the EUSAIR Stakeholder Platform. Coordinated by the Pillar Coordinators, the meeting brought together permanent members from participating countries, representatives of the IPA ADRION Managing Authority, and Lead Partners of EUSAIR governance support projects.

The discussion focused on strategic priorities within the updated EUSAIR Action Plan for the development of a sustainable and multimodal transport system in the Adriatic-Ionian area. Particular attention was given to the ongoing update of the EUSAIR Master Plan on Transport, a key tool for macro-regional infrastructure and mobility planning. The EUSAIR Multimodal Transport Model (EMTM) has been updated to the 2023 base year and structured into three scenarios: a reference scenario including already funded or advanced projects; a long-term scenario based on national strategies and plans; and a scenario for completing the TEN-T network. TSG2 members were invited to review and validate the updated baseline, contributing to the consolidation of the dataset supporting the modelling exercise.

The IPA ADRION Managing Authority presented an update on programme activities relevant to EUSAIR transport priorities, focusing on capitalisation efforts and an initial reflection on the post-2027 programming period (2028–2034). Contributions of EUSAIR to the EU enlargement process were also illustrated, with particular attention to the alignment of Pillar 2 Transport with Chapters 14 (Transport) and 27 (Environment and climate change) of accession negotiations, as well as capacity building and knowledge transfer activities in candidate countries.

The meeting also included the approval of a joint internal regulation for TSG2 Transport and Energy and provided space for contributions from the EUSAIR Youth Council on initiatives aimed at strengthening youth involvement in the transport sector — a sign of growing attention to participatory dimensions of macro-regional governance.

In conclusion, the 2026 Work Programme was presented, including the transport thematic session at the 11th EUSAIR Annual Forum (Skopje, 19 May 2026) and a Conference on EU Transport Corridors planned under the Italian Presidency. The next TSG2 Transport meeting is expected in autumn 2026, in Belgrade or Rome.

The update of the Master Plan and the development of shared modelling scenarios confirm the central role of the EUSAIR framework in supporting coordinated, data-driven planning capable of guiding infrastructure investments towards a more connected, sustainable and integrated mobility system in the Adriatic-Ionian area.