MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Fund for the protection and development of the frontier regions of countries bordering Ukraine, Belarus and Russia – E-002090/2024

Source: European Parliament

Question for written answer  E-002090/2024
to the Commission
Rule 144
Marta Wcisło (PPE), Merja Kyllönen (The Left), Dan-Ştefan Motreanu (PPE), Jacek Protas (PPE), Nils Ušakovs (S&D), Krzysztof Śmiszek (S&D), Benoit Cassart (Renew), Ewa Kopacz (PPE), Georgiana Teodorescu (ECR), Krzysztof Hetman (PPE), Roberts Zīle (ECR), Lucia Yar (Renew), Reinis Pozņaks (ECR), Olivier Chastel (Renew), Miriam Lexmann (PPE), Krzysztof Brejza (PPE), Mirosława Nykiel (PPE), Elżbieta Katarzyna Łukacijewska (PPE), Vilis Krištopans (PfE), Adrian-George Axinia (ECR), Kamila Gasiuk-Pihowicz (PPE), Andrzej Buła (PPE), Branislav Ondruš (NI), Rihards Kols (ECR), Andrzej Halicki (PPE), Dariusz Joński (PPE), Bartłomiej Sienkiewicz (PPE), Joanna Scheuring-Wielgus (S&D), Bartosz Arłukowicz (PPE), Magdalena Adamowicz (PPE), Michał Szczerba (PPE), Adam Jarubas (PPE), Jagna Marczułajtis-Walczak (PPE), Janusz Lewandowski (PPE), Michał Wawrykiewicz (PPE), Bogdan Andrzej Zdrojewski (PPE), Borys Budka (PPE)

Europe is facing an unprecedented combination of internal and external threats undermining EU citizens’ security. Military, economic and security challenges are greatest in the EU’s border regions, causing depopulation, investor outflow, business bankruptcies and unemployment rates of up to 16 %. Eastern EU areas have become a buffer zone of the Union. Polish regions such as Lubelskie, Podkarpackie, Podlaskie, and others in countries bordering Russia, Belarus or Ukraine bear the whole burden of threats while simultaneously protecting all Member States. These frontier regions have become the EU’s poorest areas. The European Union, as a values-based community, must take immediate and targeted action.

• 1.Following the Political Guidelines for 2024-2029 and the overall political consensus on the need to strengthen European security and resilience, what specific measures does the Commission envisage to help the regions bordering Ukraine, Russia and Belarus that are bearing the greatest burden of war in Europe?
• 2.Using the example of the Just Transition Fund, and taking the solidarity principle as a basis, is the Commission working to establish a specially dedicated fund to support these regions?
• 3.Can the Commission undertake a study into the positive effects that the creation of such a protection and development fund could have on economic activities and industrial and infrastructure planning, as well as on the broader safety of the EU’s borders?

Submitted: 16.10.2024