Text · Report parliamentary committee draft
On cohesion policy in the EU’s eastern border regions: strengthening territorial resilience and cross-border cooperation
Document REGI-PR-789932 · 2026/2054(INI)
- Kind
- Report parliamentary committee draft REGI-PR-789932
- Date
- 22 June 2026
- Committee
- Committee on Regional Development
- Rapporteur
- Jacek Protas
- Dossier
- 2026-2054
More facts (3)
- Formats
- Official page PDF Word
- Subject matter
- PREG, COES
- Reference
- 2026/2054(INI)
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Motion for a european parliament resolution
on cohesion policy in the EU’s eastern border regions: strengthening territorial resilience and cross-border cooperation
- having regard to Articles 14, 174, 175 and 177 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU),
- having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/1060 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 June 2021 laying down common provisions on the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund Plus, the Cohesion Fund, the Just Transition Fund and the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund and financial rules for those and for the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund, the Internal Security Fund and the Instrument for Financial Support for Border Management and Visa Policy (Common Provisions Regulation),
- having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/1058 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 June 2021 on the European Regional Development Fund and on the Cohesion Fund,
- having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/1057 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 June 2021 establishing the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+),
- having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/1059 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 June 2021 on specific provisions for the European territorial cooperation goal (Interreg) supported by the European Regional Development Fund and external financing instruments,
- having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/1056 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 June 2021 establishing the Just Transition Fund,
- having regard to Regulation 2025/1914 (EU) of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 September 2025 amending Regulations (EU) 2021/1058 and (EU) 2021/1056 as regards specific measures to address strategic challenges in the context of the mid-term review,
- having regard to the Commission proposal of 16 July 2025 for a Council regulation laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years 2028 to 2034 (COM(2025)0571),
- having regard to its resolution of 28 April 2026 on the proposal for a Council regulation laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years 2028 to 2034 (COM(2025)0571 – C10-0000/2025 – 2025/0571R(APP)),
- having regard to the Commission proposal of 16 July 2025 for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the European Fund for economic, social and territorial cohesion, agriculture and rural, fisheries and maritime, prosperity and security for the period 2028-2034 and amending Regulation (EU) 2023/955 and Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 (COM(2025)0565),
- having regard to the Commission proposal of 16 July 2025 for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the European Social Fund as part of the National and Regional Partnership Plan set out in Regulation (EU) […] and establishing conditions for the implementation of the Union support to quality employment, skills and social inclusion for the period from 2028 to 2034 (COM(2025)0558),
- having regard to the Commission proposal of 16 July 2025 for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the European Fund for Regional Development including for European Territorial Cooperation (Interreg) and the Cohesion Fund as part of the Fund set out in Regulation (EU) […] [NRPP] and establishing conditions for the implementation of the Union support to regional development from 2028 to 2034 (COM(2025)0552),
- having regard to the Commission proposal of 16 July 2025 for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a budget expenditure tracking and performance framework and other horizontal rules for the Union programmes and activities (COM(2025)0545),
- having regard to the Commission proposal of 16 July 2025 for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the European Competitiveness Fund, including the specific programme for defence research and innovation activities (COM(2025)0555),
- having regard to the Commission proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 July 2025 establishing the Connecting Europe Facility for the period 2028-2034 (COM(2025)0221),
having regard to the 9th Cohesion Report, published by the Commission on 27 March 2024, and the Commission communication of 27 March 2024 on the 9th Cohesion Report (COM(2024)0149),
- having regard to its resolution of 8 May 2025 on the 9th report on economic and social cohesion (2024/2107(INI)),
- having regard to the Commission communication of 18 February 2026 on the EU’s eastern regions bordering Russia, Belarus and Ukraine – Strong regions for a safe Europe (COM(2026)0082),
- having regard to the opinion of the Committee of the Regions of 2 February 2026 on the EU’s eastern regions bordering Russia, Belarus and Ukraine,
- having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee of 17 June 2026 on the Strategy for eastern border regions,
A.whereas the Union’s eastern border regions play a strategic role in the protection of the EU’s external border and make a significant contribution to European security, as well as to the Union’s resilience and territorial cohesion; whereas these regions collectively guard some 3 646 km of the EU’s external land border with Russia and Belarus and over 600 km of maritime border on the Black Sea, representing almost a quarter of all the Union’s external land borders in Europe; whereas many of the regions covered by the Commission’s communication are among the Union’s less developed regions, are facing long-standing demographic challenges and are suffering the effects of Russia’s war against Ukraine and the hybrid activities being carried out by Russia and Belarus; whereas these regions are bearing disproportionate economic, social, demographic and territorial costs in connection with their fulfilment of strategic functions for benefit of the Union as a whole;
B.whereas border regions are home to 30 % of the EU’s population and account for 40 % of its territory; the regions on the eastern flank, constituting a particularly vulnerable area of the Union, deserve a dedicated policy response commensurate with the challenges that they face;
C.whereas the eastern border regions have experienced a significant population decline – by an average of 2.6 % between 2016 and 2025 – while the population of the EU as a whole has increased by 1.2 %; some of these regions have lost more than 10 % of their population, and, in extreme cases, more than 17 % of their inhabitants, over the last decade; labour shortages and the emigration of young people are undermining the long-term prospects for regional development;
D.whereas the eastern border regions are disproportionally bearing the costs of hosting war refugees: by early 2026, over 1.3 million Ukrainian refugees had been registered in Poland alone, and significant numbers of them have settled in the border regions of Romania, Hungary and Slovakia; whereas these regions must simultaneously cope with an outflow of their own residents and growing demand for public services from new arrivals;
E.whereas the consequences of the closure of the borders with Russia and Belarus are being felt directly by local communities and businesses in the eastern border regions; whereas the volume of rail freight traffic on the corridors serving these borders has fallen by 75-80 %, and the number of overnight stays by foreign tourists in the most affected regions has decreased by 10-35 %; whereas in the period 2022 to 2023, Member States on the eastern flank recorded inflation rates approximately 3-4 percentage points higher than the EU average as well as slower economic growth; whereas these effects compound existing problems linked to the peripheral nature of these regions, their poor transport connectivity and limited attractiveness to investors;
F.whereas the Commission’s communication does not refer to the European Union’s existing macro-regional strategies, two of which – for the Baltic Sea and Danube regions – have territorial scopes that partially overlap with the territory of the eastern border regions defined in the strategy;
H.whereas special economic zones are a tool for attracting investment to structurally weak regions affected by high unemployment and heightened geopolitical risks; the eastern border regions, characterised by a combination of these factors, require particular support in this regard;
1. Welcomes the Commission’s Communication on the EU’s eastern regions bordering Russia, Belarus and Ukraine, entitled ‘Strong regions for a secure Europe’, and regards it as an important first step towards a comprehensive European strategy for these territories; stresses, however, that this Communication should mark the start of legislative action, rather than a substitute for it; is firmly convinced that the scale of the challenges facing the eastern border regions calls for a dedicated and long-term financial response, primarily within through cohesion policy, commensurate with their contribution to the security, resilience and territorial integrity of the Union; stresses that this response must involve genuine additional resources, rather than the mere reallocation of existing cohesion policy funds;
2. Recalls that the cohesion policy mid-term review led to the reallocation of approximately EUR 34.6 billion from cohesion policy funds to new priorities in 25 Member States; welcomes the increased levels of co-financing and pre-financing; notes, however, that these measures were conditional on the reallocation of at least 10 % of the programme’s funds to new priorities and did not involve the provision of additional Union financial resources; warns that rising expenditure on security and defence is placing increasing pressure on national budgets, limiting Member States’ ability to provide co-financing for cohesion policy programmes;
3. Calls on the Commission to recognise the eastern border regions as strategic territories of European significance and to ensure that their specific needs are reflected in future cohesion policy regulations and programmes, including in the 2028-2034 national and regional partnership plans; stresses the need to establish a structured governance framework, going beyond the Commission’s annual dialogue with the eastern border regions, to ensure the systematic involvement of their local and regional authorities and civil society, including, in particular, youth organisations, in the implementation of the EU strategy for these regions, as well as mechanisms for assessing territorial impact and administrative capacity-building as part of its implementation;
Addressing the specific needs of the eastern border regions in policies and instruments funded under the 2028-2034 MFF
4. Recalls that the suspension of Interreg programmes with Russia and Belarus has created a persistent rift in territorial cooperation on the Union’s eastern border; emphasises that the regions bordering Russia and Belarus have lost their traditional cooperation partners and are now forced to build new partnerships with other Member States; calls on the Commission to provide these regions with adequate support under the future Interreg programme post-2027, including dedicated funding opportunities reflecting their specific geopolitical situation, amounting to at least EUR 150 million – an allocation equivalent to the funds lost as a result of the suspension of programmes involving Russia and Belarus; emphasises that such funding should enable these regions to establish partnerships with other regions on the EU’s eastern flank – as well as with regions in Ukraine and Moldova – without having to meet the standard geographical requirements of Interreg programmes;
5. Is convinced that, within the framework of the national and regional partnership plans for 2028-2034, eastern border regions should be able to benefit from higher levels of pre-financing and co-financing in order to improve projects’ liquidity and the regions’ capacity to respond to challenges relating to security, resilience and territorial development;
6. Calls for appropriate conditions and financial incentives to be provided for eastern border regions, not only through cohesion policy instruments such as national and regional partnership plans or the Interreg programme, but also through other sectoral instruments and policies, including the common agricultural policy, the European Competitiveness Fund and the Connecting Europe Facility;
7. Stresses that eastern border regions are at a competitive disadvantage when applying for funding from programmes managed centrally by the Union; calls on the Commission to take this situation into account through dedicated calls for proposals, higher co-financing rates, targeted technical support and other measures to make it easier for these regions to participate in Union programmes; stresses that this support should primarily take the form of grants and should supplement the funds available under cohesion policy;
8.Stresses that the European Union’s strategy for the eastern border regions must be tailored to the specific needs of each of these regions, taking into account their varying levels of potential, including in terms of natural resources, economy and human capital; notes, in light of the above, that the geographical scope of the term ‘eastern border regions’ should therefore encompass EU regions at NUTS 2 level which have at least 5 km of land border or at least 30 km of maritime border with Russia or Belarus, or which have a land or maritime border with Ukraine or access to the Black Sea; Notes furthermore that the thus defined eastern border regions directly neighbouring Russia and Belarus are most vulnerable to a deterioration in security conditions and an increased risk of military incidents, which must be reflected in the EU’s approach to these regions compared to other eastern border regions;
Security and resilience as prerequisites for the socio-economic development of the eastern border regions
9.Notes that the EU’s approach to its eastern border regions is consistent with the Union’s security initiatives, including increased military mobility, which means that investments in these regions strengthen Europe’s overall security; notes, however, in this context that while so-called dual-use investments may create economic opportunities, they tend to be concentrated in regions with existing industrial and innovation capacities; emphasises that, in the absence of a territorial approach, this risks further increasing spatial concentration rather than promoting cohesion; considers that this limitation can be overcome by extending the scope of dual-use investments to further areas of activity, such as healthcare or education; emphasises the economic importance of such measures – including high-quality jobs, improved transport, greater logistical capacity and multiplier effects in terms of innovation – for strengthening the broader links between eastern border regions and the rest of Europe, which remain an essential element of these regions’ competitiveness and of EU cohesion;
10.Is of the opinion that the unique security and resilience challenges facing the eastern border regions require support to be extended to categories of investment which, under standard cohesion policy rules, would not be eligible for funding; calls on the Commission to introduce, as part of the regulations for the period 2028 to 2034, specific provisions enabling investments to be made in the eastern border regions in the following categories:
(a)healthcare infrastructure, including hospitals, emergency medical services and telemedicine, bearing in mind that such infrastructure fulfils both civilian healthcare functions and functions supporting civil defence and protection in the event of armed conflict;
(b)local and regional road infrastructure, including links not forming part of the TEN-T network, which are important for mobility, accessibility and territorial resilience;
(d)civil preparedness and resilience infrastructure – public shelters, energy microgrids, water reserves, emergency communications systems and ground-based GNSS support infrastructure;
11.Stresses that the right to remain is directly linked to territorial resilience, demographic renewal and the security of the Union, and encompasses citizens’ right to live, work, receive an education, start a family and benefit from high-quality public services in their region of residence, including in areas exposed to geopolitical pressure and security threats;
State aid as an essential instrument to ensure the competitiveness of eastern border regions and equal access to the single market
12.Notes that the eastern border regions are characterised by varying levels of economic, demographic, security and territorial vulnerability, and that none of the existing territorial classifications used in cohesion policy adequately reflect these differences; stresses that none of the current measures treat security threats as a distinct dimension of territorial cohesion; points out that mere geographical proximity to the external eastern border cannot be the sole eligibility criterion, as it does not reflect the actual scale of the structural, demographic and economic challenges facing individual regions;
13.Calls on the Commission to develop, in cooperation with Eurostat and ESPON, a composite vulnerability indicator for eastern border regions identifying those regions most affected by geopolitical pressure and its structural consequences; this indicator should be updated annually and used as an eligibility criterion and a basis for allocation decisions under the relevant EU instruments;
14.Stresses that the indicator should take into account, in particular, security-related pressures, the economic consequences of the loss of cross-border links, demographic challenges, the availability of public services and the strategic importance of the regions for the Union’s resilience and security.
Pursuant to Article 8 of Annex I to the Rules of Procedure, the rapporteur declares that he included in his report input on matters pertaining to the subject of the file that he received, in the preparation of the draft report, from the following interest representatives falling within the scope of the Interinstitutional Agreement on a mandatory transparency register1, or from the following representatives of public authorities of third countries, including their diplomatic missions and embassies:
| 1. Interest representatives falling within the scope of the Interinstitutional Agreement on a mandatory transparency register |
| 2. Representatives of public authorities of third countries, including their diplomatic missions and embassies |
Back matter, 1
Parts that accompany the text rather than belong to it: explanatory statement, annexes, opinions appended by other committees. Collapsed.
Explanatory statement 13 blocks
The European Union’s eastern border regions play a particularly strategic role, as they constitute the Union’s first line of defence against geopolitical and security challenges, as well as economic disruptions resulting primarily from Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. Russia’s unjustified aggression has fundamentally altered the conditions for the development of these regions, exposing them to previously unseen problems such as: hybrid warfare activities, airspace violations, artificially induced migratory pressure and economic problems resulting from the suspension of economic and trade cooperation.
In the area of regional policy, one example of the adverse effects of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine is the suspension of Interreg cross-border cooperation programmes involving Russia and Belarus. As a result, some EUR 150 million has been reallocated to other cross-border cooperation programmes. For many years, these programmes were an important tool to support local development, infrastructure development, institutional cooperation and contacts between communities on both sides of the border. Their suspension was a necessary and justified response to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and the complicity of the Belarusian regime; however, this decision also had tangible economic and social consequences for the border regions on the European Union side.
The specific challenges faced by the eastern border regions were highlighted during the 2025 mid-term review of cohesion policy. The legislative package adopted as part of the mid-term review enabled these regions to make use of dedicated mechanisms in the form of a 10 % higher co-financing rate and a 9.5 % pre-financing rate. It also introduced the possibility of using cohesion policy funds to finance new priorities in the following areas: security and civil protection, competitiveness, housing, energy infrastructure and water resilience. It should be noted, however, that the review merely constituted a reallocation of existing funds without providing any new financial resources.
In February 2026, the European Commission adopted a strategy for the EU’s eastern border regions (‘Strong Eastern Regions for a Safe Europe’). This strategy recognises the special role that areas bordering Russia, Belarus and Ukraine play in ensuring the security, cohesion and competitiveness of the entire European Union, as they form the Union’s external border. As part of the strategy, the European Commission committed the European Union to continuing its support for the eastern border regions. It also identified five priority areas:
- growth and regional prosperity – including through the new EastInvest instrument, designed to help the countries and regions concerned access credit and advisory support, with the involvement of the European Investment Bank Group, other international financial institutions, and national and regional development banks;
This report has been drawn up to set out the European Parliament’s common position on EU support for eastern border regions in the context of the strategy for these regions published by the European Commission. It is also worth highlighting the particular timing of this report’s publication, given the ongoing legislative work at European Union level on the new multiannual financial framework and the package of regulations governing cohesion policy post-2027.
In the context of the EU budget post-2027, the report emphasises that the specific needs of the eastern border regions must be reflected in future cohesion policy regulations and programmes, including in the national and regional partnership plans for 2028 to 2034, calls for adequate financial compensation to be provided in connection with the suspension of Interreg programmes involving Russia and Belarus, and also calls for appropriate financial incentives and implementation conditions to be ensured for these regions in policies and instruments beyond the scope of cohesion policy, such as programmes managed centrally by the European Commission.
The report also stresses that Europe’s security begins at its eastern border. The eastern border regions bear disproportionately high costs arising from geopolitical tensions on behalf of the Union as a whole. It is therefore essential to provide specific support to ensure the resilience of these regions by funding dual-use projects in various sectors, including healthcare and education. Furthermore, the report notes the need to ensure the ‘right to remain’ for the populations of these areas, highlighting the vital role of access not only to high-quality infrastructure, but also to public services.
The strategy for the EU’s eastern border regions defines the boundaries of these areas; however, it is primarily of a geographical nature and has not been supported by a detailed analysis of the varying levels of exposure of individual regions to the effects of geopolitical changes. This report emphasises that eastern border regions do not constitute a uniform territorial category. The scale of the challenges relating to security, the loss of cross-border cooperation, the decline in economic activity, migratory pressure, hybrid threats and depopulation varies significantly between Member States, and even between regions within the same country. Consequently, the report calls for a shift away from a one-size-fits-all approach in favour of a more analytical and targeted approach, reflected, among other things, in the development of a composite vulnerability indicator for eastern border regions, which identifies the regions most affected by geopolitical pressure and its structural consequences.
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Cite as
European Parliament (2026). “DRAFT REPORT on cohesion policy in the EU’s eastern border regions: strengthening territorial resilience and cross-border cooperation”. Text, 22 June 2026. docId REGI-PR-789932. EU Parl Watch Research. https://news.eu-parl.st-solutions.dev/texts/REGI-PR-789932 (retrieved 25 September 2026). Data: EP Open Data API: document record, https://data.europarl.europa.eu/api/v2/documents/REGI-PR-789932 (CC BY 4.0).
BibTeX
@misc{epw-text-regi-pr-789932,
author = {{European Parliament}},
title = {{DRAFT REPORT on cohesion policy in the EU’s eastern border regions: strengthening territorial resilience and cross-border cooperation}},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-06-22},
howpublished = {\url{https://news.eu-parl.st-solutions.dev/texts/REGI-PR-789932}},
url = {https://news.eu-parl.st-solutions.dev/texts/REGI-PR-789932},
urldate = {2026-09-25},
publisher = {EU Parl Watch Research},
note = {Text. docId REGI-PR-789932. Data: EP Open Data API: document record (CC BY 4.0)}
}