26-11-2024

Joint Declaration signed by Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Poland: "Countries bordering aggressor countries must receive additional attention from EU Cohesion Policy"

The ministries of Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Poland, which are responsible for the planning and implementation of the Cohesion Policy, signed a joint declaration, which draws attention to the specific challenges of the countries and regions bordering russia and Belarus and aims for additional funding from the Cohesion Funds beyond 2027.

"Lithuania and neighbouring countries located on the borders of the European Union and bordering aggressor countries are experiencing much greater challenges for further economic and social convergence. When negotiating the future of the Cohesion Policy, it is necessary to provide additional financial measures for the countries of our region, which would help cushion the challenges arising from geopolitical circumstances and contribute to the further development of the region", Minister of Finance Gintarė Skaistė noted.

According to the signatories, Cohesion Policy should support the further development of regions facing challenges and this requires additional and adequate funding in the new financial period after 2027.

It was noted that tailor-made decisions are needed to respond to specific challenges, and attention should also be paid to improving cross-border connections within the EU and increasing resilience, including regional crisis preparedness and strengthening civil protection. The document emphasizes that it is necessary to pay attention to the existing challenges, which may not only exacerbate regional disparities in development, but also undermine the competitiveness and security of the EU as a whole.

Please note that the initiative of the agreement was introduced following the beginning of the war against Ukraine caused by russian aggression. Europe has faced new and complex challenges that have a significant impact on all EU regions, but EU members bordering russia and Belarus (Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Poland) are in a much less favourable situation. The text of the declaration is available here: /public/canonical/1733126827/24069/Declaration%20of%204%20border%20states_Official%20version.pdf