The support of a total of 170 million euros (1.9 billion Swedish kronor) is primarily intended for electronic surveillance equipment.
Europe must stand united against hybrid threats, says Henna Virkkunen, EU Commissioner for Technological Independence, Security, and Democracy at a press conference in Brussels.
Wednesday's package is the first presented by the new EU Commission and can be seen as an indication of how much importance will be placed on protecting and monitoring the EU's external borders, particularly eastwards towards Vladimir Putin's Russia.
At the same time, there is still no opening for EU funds to be used for concrete border barriers – fences, walls, or similar – which has long been a demand from the far-right.
In parallel, guidelines are being provided on what EU countries can do to address the migrant and refugee flows believed to be coordinated by countries such as Russia and Belarus. For example, it is emphasized that measures restricting fundamental rights must be temporary. At the same time, reference is also made to court rulings that open up for collective deportation, in cases of organized attempts to cross the border in groups.
The EU Commission is allocating 170 million euros to six countries inside and outside the EU along the border with Russia and Belarus:
* Poland: 52 million
* Finland: 50 million
* Estonia: 19.4 million
* Latvia: 17 million
* Norway: 16.4 million
* Lithuania: 15.4 million
Source: EU Commission
