In brief

• Agriculture Minister Stefan Krajewski called for more EU funding for eastern and border regions in the next budget.
• He spoke at the second EU Forum on Cohesion and Border Development in Białystok on 4 November 2026.
• Krajewski argued that food security depends on strong, profitable farms and that border regions need investment to keep young people in the area.

Border regions and the EU budget

Agriculture Minister Stefan Krajewski said farmers and entrepreneurs in eastern Poland need stronger support for investment and growth (MRiRW: Wschodnia Polska potrzebuje większego wsparcia; S. Krajewski na forum w Białymstoku (komunikat) – PAP MediaRoom). He argued that border regions, which carry particular weight for the security of Poland and the wider European Union, should be reflected in the bloc's future budget.

Speaking at the second EU Forum on Cohesion and Border Development in Białystok, Krajewski tied the issue to the current budget talks in Brussels (Więcej pieniędzy dla wschodniej Polski. Minister Krajewski apeluje przed nowym budżetem UE – farmer.pl). He said border areas facing a difficult neighborhood should receive more money for investment and job creation, so that young people have reasons to stay in the region rather than leave for opportunities elsewhere.

Food security and farm viability

At the opening of the forum, the minister said security in eastern Poland begins with agriculture. He stated that food security depends above all on strong and profitable farms.

The forum, held at the Opera and Philharmonic in Białystok, brings together participants discussing the future of the EU's eastern regions, border security and additional development funds (Forum Spójności i Rozwoju Granicznego UE w Białymstoku – miastosuwalki.pl). Organizers say the aim is to translate the strategic role of border regions into concrete support. Officials pointed to the Russian aggression against Ukraine, hybrid threats and the situation on the border with Belarus as reasons the Podlaskie region faces extra challenges.

Next steps

The ministry said the EU budget negotiations are at a sensitive stage, and the outcome will determine how much support eastern regions receive in the coming years. Details of specific amounts for Poland's eastern regions have not been set out in the materials reviewed.