The Programme area, including the western oblasts of Ukraine and the Polish eastern regions as a part of the European Union, is facing a substantial inflow of refugees as a result of the Russian unprovoked military aggression against Ukraine, supported by the government of Belarus. This migratory crisis situation is spreading further to other Member States and the European economies are still recovering from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Ukraine’s economy is incomparably severely impacted by Russia’s aggression. Exports in particular have been drastically constrained due to the blockade of the Ukrainian seaports by the Russian navy and these seaports accounted for 90% of the export of grain and oilseeds before the war. Following the Commission’s communication on an action plan for EU-Ukraine Solidarity Lanes to facilitate Ukraine's agricultural export and bilateral trade with the EU, the Programme is committed to supporting Ukraine’s economy and economic recovery, as well as to contributing to stabilizing world food markets and improving global food security.

Considering the significance of migratory challenges in Ukraine and Poland, in the Ukrainian-Polish borderland in particular, as well as supporting Ukraine’s economy and economic recovery, based on the provisions of article 11 of the Regulation (EU) No 2022/2192, the Programme authorities decided to respond to these challenges by selecting additional projects within the direct award procedure.

In accordance with the Joint Monitoring Committee decision made on 30 January 2023, the following projects were selected for financing to address the migratory challenges:

Documents are published in the section Documents/Manuals → IMPLEMENTATION PHASE → Direct Award