Ukraine Plans Carpathian Strategy Bid for EU Budget Funding in 2027
Ukraine wants to bring a draft macro-regional strategy for the Carpathians to European institutions in the first half of 2027. Minister Vitalii Bezgin says the…
Ukraine aims to present a draft macro-regional strategy for the Carpathian region to European institutions in the first half of 2027, hoping to write its priorities into the EU's next budget period and secure money for joint projects.
Vitalii Bezgin, Ukraine's Minister for Communities, Territories and Internally Displaced Persons, said so in comments to an Ukrinform correspondent. He spoke on the sidelines of the 51st session of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg.
Timing matters. The EU's next budget period begins in 2028, so Bezgin said the document must be prepared and discussed with European institutions in the first half of next year.
"Our next step is to develop a joint macro-regional strategy within the European Union framework," he said. Ukraine secured the support of Raffaele Fitto, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission for Cohesion and Reforms, just two weeks ago, according to the minister. "The Commission is now planning specific support for regions it refers to as the 'eastern flank.' As allies, we naturally want to be part of this process," Bezgin said.
The payoff could be concrete. "If we secure a dedicated strategy, we could qualify for specific funding under a transport cooperation program, primarily for infrastructure projects," he added.
Alps and Danube as models
Bezgin said discussions at the Congress had been useful for examining how similar initiatives were launched for the Alps and under the Danube Strategy. "We want to do essentially the same things with the Carpathian Strategy," he said.
The Carpathian initiative was presented in Strasbourg on October 27 to the permanent representatives to the Council of Europe of countries in the Carpathian macro-region, and to the heads of the relevant national delegations. It was also presented to the leadership of the European Committee of the Regions.
Bezgin argued that local-level cooperation makes compromise easier. "At the local level, it is much easier to balance shared interests because the focus is on practical projects and their implementation, as well as on securing financial resources," he said.
Eight countries, one cautious voice
The initiative involves eight countries: Ukraine, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Hungary, Czechia, Austria and Serbia. Hungary is currently the only one taking a cautious position, the minister said. Its representative nonetheless joined the discussions in Strasbourg.
On October 28, the Congress of the Council of Europe decided to support the Carpathian integration initiative. In early 2027, it is expected to help organize a thematic meeting of local and regional authorities from the Carpathian region and government institutions. The goal is to agree on a concrete cooperation plan aimed at promoting cohesion, prosperity and security.
The effort follows the first Carpathian Summit, held in Ukraine's Ivano-Frankivsk region. Leaders and representatives of Ukraine, Austria, Poland, Romania, Serbia and Slovakia adopted a joint declaration there, Ukrinform reported.
Source: ukrinform.net
