On 29 April 2026, the first meeting of the Working Group officially launched preparations of the new cross-border cooperation Programme between Poland and Ukraine.
The Working Group brought together representatives of the Managing Authority (Ministry of Development Funds and Regional Policy of the Republic of Poland), National Authority (Secretariat of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine), European Commission, TESIM as well as regional authorities, civil society representatives, economic, social and environmental partners, educational institutions, and youth organisations from both participating countries.
The main task of the Group is to agree on the Programme’s strategic approach, including defining area and key directions of support for 2028-2034.
During the meeting, participants discussed:
- programming rules for the 2028-2034 period, based on the new EU regulatory proposals;
- key challenges and development needs in the Programme area;
- lessons learned from the current and previous programming periods;
- proposals for new thematic priorities and intervention logic.
The representatives agreed to keep the Programme area in its current configuration, covering the following regions:
In Poland (voivodeships):
Podlaskie, Mazowieckie (Ostrołęcki and Siedlecki subregions only), Lubelskie, Podkarpackie
In Ukraine (oblasts):
Volynska, Zakarpatska, Ivano-Frankivska, Lvivska, Rivnenska, Ternopilska.
The Working Group confirmed also support for the following thematic areas:
- RESILIENCE
- HEALTH
- ENVIRONMENT
- COOPERATION
Further discussions are ongoing regarding the possible inclusion of additional priorities.
The outcomes of the meeting will feed into further analytical and drafting work on the new Interreg Programme between both countries. The next meeting, planned for September 2026, will focus on refining the strategic framework and translating identified needs into concrete measures and intervention fields.
