Karelia ENI CBC

This means, among others, that no further payments to Russia or Belarus will be made. 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. The overall EU funding for the eight programmes with Russia is €178 million, while the total EU funding for the two programmes with Belarus amounts to €257 million. The regulation on the ENI cooperation programme provides for their suspension in case of breaches to international law, human rights, democratic principles and rule of law.  

Cooperation with both countries in programmes under the new programming period 2021-2027 is also suspended. 

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.” 

As a result, it was understood that the EU and Norwegian beneficiaries can carry on the project operations, whereas the activities and financial flows on the Russian and Belarusian side have to be suspended.