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The European Commission has released a strategy to support eastern border regions struggling with economic decline, demographic pressure, and hybrid threats stemming from the war in Ukraine.
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Nine EU member states – Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria – are set to benefit from the initiative, which targets areas facing reduced investment, falling populations, and disruptions to cross-border activity.
The centrepiece of the strategy is EastInvest, a facility that will disburse €28bn in loans in cooperation with the European Investment Bank and the World Bank to revive investment and business activity in the affected regions.
“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,” said Raffaele Fitto, Executive Vice-President for Cohesion and Reforms.
The strategy also covers the European Drone Wall Initiative to strengthen border security, support for integrating Baltic electricity networks into the broader European grid, and educational and employment programmes aimed at addressing population decline in border areas.
The allocation of funds among member states has not yet been determined. EU officials are expected to meet member state representatives at an EastInvest event scheduled for the end of February.
The Baltic states and Poland have significantly reinforced their eastern borders in response to hybrid tactics employed by Russia and Belarus, including the facilitated movement of migrants across EU frontiers to destabilise member states.
Belarus also launched hundreds of balloons into Lithuanian airspace last year, causing disruption to air traffic control.
