He was speaking at the European Commission at the first evaluation of the success of strategies for the Danubian and Baltic macroregions.
Hahn said a new strategy required defining actual needs and the value which cooperation added, and that participating countries should realise that strong engagement was necessary on the government level.
Eight countries promote the initiative - Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Albania, Montenegro and Greece.
A series of technical meetings are envisaged for this year, and there is an agreement on issues the initiative would deal with - the sea, the environment, tourism, transport, administration improvement, innovations and research, said Hahn.
An important seminar will be held in Greece early next year and the idea is to establish communication in the first six months, Hahn said, adding that an Adriatic-Ionian Macroregion strategy would be drawn up by the end of the year, after talks with the European Parliament and Council.