The European Commission on Wednesday adopted a comprehensive strategy to boost support for European Union eastern member states bordering Russia, Belarus and Ukraine, including Lithuania.
“Eastern border regions are not only national borders – they are European borders. This Communication has been developed together with the territories and their communities to ensure they remain vibrant places to live, work, grow and stay competitive,” European Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms Raffaele Fitto said in a statement.
“Strengthening the eastern border regions is a strategic investment in Europe’s security, stability, cohesion and competitiveness,” he added.
The strategy covers nine EU member states: Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, Poland, Finland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria.
Five priority areas
The commission outlined five priority areas: security and resilience; growth and regional prosperity; strengthening local strengths; connectivity; and people.
It said eastern regions have been particularly affected by hybrid warfare, destabilising migration and economic disruptions, and that conditions have not improved in the context of Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Among the concrete goals are strengthening surveillance along the EU’s eastern flank, advancing a European drone defence initiative and expanding air and space shield systems. The commission also plans to establish a network of experts to “increase preparedness and promote cross-border cooperation among resilience clusters”.
To support regional economies, the commission will deploy the “EastInvest” instrument, bringing together the European Investment Bank Group and other financial institutions to facilitate access to financing, loans and advisory services.
Development in the most affected areas will also be supported through the World Bank’s Catching-Up Regions Initiative.
In strengthening local competitive advantages, priority will be given to integrating the Baltic states’ electricity grids and developing a Nordic-Baltic hydrogen corridor. Industrial policy will include support for circular economy initiatives.
Plans to enhance transport and digital connectivity include modernising dual-use infrastructure and creating new links with Ukraine and Moldova.
Finally, the commission said it will address depopulation and labour shortages through “education-to-employment pathways”, counter-disinformation efforts and a media resilience program.
Next steps
“To ensure progress, the Commission will initiate an annual high-level political dialogue facilitating discussion on the EU's actions and their impact on the resilience and development of EU eastern regions bordering Russia, Belarus and Ukraine,” the commission said.
The first such event will take place on February 26, when financial institutions are expected to sign a declaration formally launching the EastInvest instrument.
According to the Commission, since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, member states bordering Russia, Belarus and Ukraine have faced slower growth, declining investment, depopulation, labour shortages and rising security costs.
A midterm review of the 2021-27 cohesion policy period conducted in 2025 marked a first step in recognising and addressing the needs and challenges of these regions by allocating additional resources, the Commission said.
It added that proposals for the next EU long-term budget for 2028-34 foresee dedicated resources for border regions.
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