TSBC on the Strategic Shift of the EU and the Rising Role of Central and Eastern Europe
On 27 February 2026, the Three Seas Business Council co-organised the 4th edition of the CEE Business Webinar Series, addressed to Japanese companies evaluating their strategic positioning in Europe.
From the perspective of TSBC, the webinar provided an opportunity to present a structured overview of the European Union’s evolving strategic direction. The discussion moved beyond viewing the EU solely as a single market and instead focused on the growing interconnection between energy, infrastructure, digital transformation, logistics and security.
TSBC representatives outlined how the position of Central and Eastern Europe within the EU framework is strengthening and how the Three Seas Initiative serves as a coordinated regional platform capable of aggregating investment scale. Particular emphasis was placed on the convergence of EU funds, national budgets and private capital — and on the strategic importance of timely business decisions in a rapidly evolving geopolitical environment.
Romana Vlahutin, Croatia’s National Coordinator of the Three Seas Initiative and Ambassador-at-Large for Strategic Connectivity, provided valuable insight into the EU’s transformation and the increasing significance of the CEE region from an institutional and geopolitical perspective.
The discussion was further enriched by Yuta Iguchi, who joined the panel to reflect on the practical implications for Japanese companies. As he underlined, multiple financial streams — EU instruments, national programmes and private investment — are advancing simultaneously across the region, making this a decisive moment for strategic evaluation and engagement.
The webinar also served as an important opportunity to promote the upcoming 3SI Summit in Dubrovnik on 28 and 29 April 2026, highlighting it as a key platform for continued high-level dialogue and business engagement between the Three Seas region and international partners, including Japan.
Through initiatives such as the CEE Business Webinar Series, TSBC continues to strengthen structured EU–Japan business cooperation and position the Three Seas region as a credible and strategically relevant investment space.
