Millions of euros for cross-border cooperation go to Ukraine instead of Russia
20:14
Due to aggression in Ukraine, the Interreg Poland-Russia Programme, worth over EUR 43 million, has been stalled, and Minsk has been excluded from the Interreg Poland-Belarus-Ukraine Programme. The funds from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) financing cross-border cooperation are being redirected to, i.a., tightening cooperation between the Baltic Sea States and supporting Kyiv.
As explained by analysts from the EU-wide ESPON program, the decision of the Polish government and EU institutions to discontinue cross-border cooperation with Russia and Belarus means that the budgets of other Interreg programs until 2027 will be increased.
“The Interreg 2021-2027 Programme is financed under the EU’s neighborhood and cohesion policies. It supports sustainable development along the EU’s external borders and helps bridge the gap in living standards, solving shared problems on both sides of these borders,” ESPON experts said.
In the previous Interreg perspective, the total EU funding for the eight programs jointly with Russia was €178 million, and for the two programs with Belarus – €257 million. This was planned to continue until 2027. However, Russia’s acts of war and the fact that its armies received areas and infrastructure from Belarus changed the situation completely.
