"Strong border regions on the eastern flank are the foundation of a secure Europe. Their resilience, public services, and economic vitality carry a continent-wide purpose. The eastern borderlands must never be viewed as isolated peripheries or buffer zones—they are the strategic frontlines of the European Union", said Adam Struzik (PL/EPP), Marshal of the Mazowieckie Voivodeship and rapporteur of the opinion on EU’s eastern regions bordering Russia, Belarus and Ukraine during the stakeholders meeting on the topic.
Mr Struzik underlined that local and regional authorities in the EU’s eastern border regions are facing a new geopolitical reality following Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.
The rapporteur stressed that the opinion must reflect the reality on the ground and be drafted together with the regions and municipalities directly affected by the consequences of the war, hybrid threats, disrupted cross-border cooperation and growing security concerns. “Europe’s eastern border regions must no longer be seen as peripheral regions or buffer zones. They are strategic territories for the European Union as a whole. Supporting them is not only an act of solidarity; it is a strategic investment in Europe’s security, resilience and competitiveness. These regions are carrying responsibilities that matter for the entire Union, but the costs are too often borne locally and regionally. The EU must respond with concrete, flexible and territorially targeted support.”
During the consultation, Dr Marcin Wajda, the rapporteur’s expert on regional policy, presented the first results of a survey conducted as part of the drafting process. The replies point to a clear conclusion: existing EU instruments are not sufficient to address the specific challenges faced by regions bordering Russia, Belarus and Ukraine. The survey results confirm that, since 2022, the functioning of the EU’s eastern border regions has changed significantly. While traditional cohesion policy challenges remain — including development gaps, limited transport accessibility, weaker business competitiveness, demographic decline and pressure on public services — these regions now also face a new security and resilience dimension.
Participants underlined that the geopolitical situation is affecting not only security, but also the wider local economy. Tourism, cross-border trade, transport and logistics, housing, energy, labour markets, industry, agriculture, agri-food processing, SMEs and public services have all been impacted. Stakeholders highlighted the need to adapt state aid rules to the specific situation of eastern border regions, including through higher aid intensity, simplification and targeted derogations. They also called for a dedicated financial instrument or ring-fenced funding for territories particularly affected by the consequences of war and geopolitical tensions. The consultation also showed strong support for dual-use investments that can strengthen security, resilience and regional development at the same time. These include transport and energy infrastructure, digital networks, cybersecurity systems, civil protection capacities, logistics centres and emergency response systems.
The rapporteur’s emerging conclusions point to the need for the EU to formally recognise eastern border regions as strategic territories, provide targeted funding, adapt state aid rules, anchor dual-use investments in territorial policy, and support demographic resilience by helping regions retain residents, attract investment and maintain high-quality public services.
The opinion will contribute to the debate on the future of cohesion policy after 2027 and on how EU policies can better integrate security, resilience and territorial cohesion in response to the new geopolitical context.
