Cohesion policy in the EU’s eastern border regions: strengthening territorial resilience and cross-border cooperation
Parliament sets out its own position on a topic. The resolution is not binding but signals what Parliament wants.
Where it stands: Parliament adopted the text on 22 October 2026. This is its final position on the matter.
- ✓ Referred to committee 21 May 2026
- ✓ Committee work Report adopted 1 October 2026
- ✓ Tabled for plenary 9 October 2026
- ✓ Plenary vote Adopted 22 October 2026
- ✓ Parliament’s position Final
How a file moves through Parliament
A file is referred to one lead committee (others may give an opinion). Its rapporteur writes a draft report, committee members table amendments, and the committee votes to adopt the report. The report is then tabled for all MEPs; political groups can table further amendments, which are voted on before the final vote in plenary. The adopted resolution is Parliament’s final position; it is not itself law.
Who is working on it
- Lead committee
- REGI — Regional Development
- Rapporteur
- Jacek PROTAS PPE
- Shadow rapporteurs
- Dragoş BENEA S&DŞerban Dimitrie STURDZA ECRDan BARNA RenewMārtiņš STAĶIS Verts/ALE
The rapporteur drafts and negotiates the text for the lead committee; each other political group names a shadow rapporteur to follow the file.
The text, version by version
Latest Tabled for plenary → Adopted by Parliament: The versions differ only in formal points: decimal separators in the figures are changed from points to commas. see the changes →
Committee draft → Tabled for plenary: The new version adds a dedicated top-up allocation for eastern border regions under the 2028-2034 cohesion framework and a dedicated Interreg envelope to offset lost cross-border cooperation funding. It sets out a mandatory package of financial preferences and a much longer list of investment categories eligible in these regions, including security, energy, digital and civil preparedness infrastructure. It expands the recitals and the opening paragraph on the regions' border length, refugee burdens, hybrid threats, enlargement and the use of cohesion policy alongside other EU instruments. It adds calls to review State aid rules and regional aid intensity and reworks the composite vulnerability indicator and the definition of eastern border regions. The other changes are formal: citations of regulations, opinions and Parliament resolutions are updated and completed. see the changes →
Newest version first. Open a version to read it in full. “What changed” shows the differences paragraph by paragraph; ✦ lines are AI-written from the texts themselves.
Timeline
- Plenary stage
- 22 October 2026 Plenary voteAdopted Adopted by a large majorityFor 414 Against 79 Abstained 90
Final vote on the motion for a resolution at 13:23 · 71% of votes cast in favour · every MEP’s position →
- 9 October 2026 Report tabled for plenary
This is the text all MEPs vote on. Political groups can still table amendments to it.
- Committee stage
- 1 October 2026 Committee vote: report adopted
REGI (Regional Development) voted on the amendments and adopted the report that goes to plenary.
- 23 July – 27 August 2026 Amendments tabled in committee (2 batches)
Members of REGI (Regional Development) proposed changes to the draft.
- 22 June 2026 Draft report published
The rapporteur’s first text in REGI (Regional Development). Members can table amendments before the committee votes.
- 21 May 2026 Referred to the REGI (Regional Development) committee
The lead committee prepares Parliament’s report.