Photo by Matheus Frade on Unsplash
MEPs have demanded dedicated EU funding to strengthen infrastructure, connectivity and resilience across the Three Seas region, a forum of thirteen states, in the European Union, running along a north–south axis from the Baltic Sea to the Adriatic and Black Seas in Central and Eastern Europe.
This comes just ahead of the upcoming Three Seas Summit in Warsaw on 28–29 April.
The Three Seas countries represent almost half of the EU Member States
The region brings together 13 countries located between the Baltic, Black, and Adriatic Seas.
They are: Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia.
n a letter to European Council President Antonio Costa the MEPs stress the strategic importance of the region for the future of the European Union.
They also underline the need to bridge existing gaps in transport, energy, and digital infrastructure.
The Euro deputies call for the creation of a special fund within the EU cohesion policy framework to support strategic, transnational projects carried out under the Three Seas Initiative.
The signatories write, “The Three Seas countries represent almost half of the EU Member States. Supporting their integration and development is not only a question of fairness – it is a strategic imperative for the strength and unity of the Union.”
Highlighting concerns about the risk of a two-speed Europe, the letter argues that increased investment in the region would benefit both its citizens and the EU as a whole – particularly in light of current geopolitical challenges and the threat posed by Russia’s neo-imperial ambitions.
“Especially today, in the context of growing geopolitical threats, particularly those stemming from Russia’s neo-imperial ambitions, the need for investment in the resilience and integration of this region is more pressing than ever. Cohesion funds must therefore focus, in particular, on the Three Seas countries as a key area in the architecture of the EU’s security, development, and unity.”
The letter was initiated by Arkadiusz Mularczyk, Chair of the ECR Working Group on the Three Seas Initiative.
“This is about securing Europe’s future. The Three Seas region must not be seen as peripheral – it is central to the EU’s economic growth, strategic autonomy, and territorial cohesion”, Mularczyk commented.
The initiative is strongly supported by MEPs from the ECR Group and has also been endorsed by members from the EPP, Renew, and Green groups.
This, it is said, reflects a growing cross-party consensus on the need to invest in the resilience and strategic connectivity of Central and Eastern Europe.
