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European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations (DG NEAR)
News article4 March 2022Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations

Commission suspends cross-border cooperation and transnational cooperation with Russia and Belarus

CBC with Russia and Belarus

Following the Russian military aggression against Ukraine and in line with the Commission's decision to fully implement all EU restrictive measures, the Commission has suspended the cooperation with Russia and its ally Belarus in the European Neighbourhood Instrument cross-border cooperation programmes (ENI CBC) as well as in the Interreg Baltic Sea region programme. This means, among others, that no further payments will be made to Russia or Belarus. The suspension has immediate effect for the nine ENI CBC programmes involving Russia and Belarus and for the transnational programme Interreg Baltic Sea region under the programming period 2014-2020. Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms, Elisa Ferreira, said: “The Russian military aggression is a blatant violation of the UN Charter, international law and the rules-based order. Suspending all cross-border and transnational programmes and payments to Russia and Belarus and, at the same time, strengthening the support to Ukraine is a concrete expression of European and Cohesion policy solidarity with the Ukrainian people.” At the same time, the Commission is urgently exploring legal and operational possibilities to strengthen the existing cross-border cooperation programmes between EU countries (Poland, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia) and Ukraine, as well as the participation of Ukraine in the ENI CBC Black Sea Basin Programme or the Interreg Danube Transnational Programme. The ENI Cross Border Cooperation programme 2014-2020 – to be called ‘Interreg NEXT 2021-2027' in the 2021-2027 programming period – is financed by the European Neighbourhood Policy and EU Cohesion policy. It supports sustainable development along the EU's external borders, and helps reduce differences in living standards by addressing common challenges across these borders. It also enables cooperation between the EU and partner countries' regional and local stakeholders, on the basis of the principle of partnership on equal footing. More details in our press release.

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