Joint initiatives for strengthening Lithuanian and Polish border safeguard

Programme 2021 - 2027 Interreg VI-A Lithuania-Poland

Date of latest update: 2026-01-26

Description

Description (EN):

The project is initiated by the Lithuanian and Polish Border Guard Services, which are responsible for implementing public security objectives as delegated by their respective governments in the border region during peacetime. These responsibilities include the prevention and management of irregular migration, combating illegal activities and crimes, conducting investigations and intelligence operations, and rescuing people in distress. In recent years, both countries have faced crisis situations such as COVID-19, irregular migration, and the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia. Despite regional socio-economic disparities within both countries, these challenges cannot justify any failures or reductions in the quality of public security provision. Strengthening national security is considered a paramount objective in both Lithuania's and Poland's domestic and foreign policies. Although the Lithuanian and Polish Border Guard Services have similar functions and common objectives, they operate under different national legislations, which naturally vary. Nevertheless, the partners share similar capacities in terms of equipment, activities, capabilities, and funding. Given that both countries are members of the same international organizations (EU, FRONTEX, NATO, etc.), their border guard authorities are committed to implementing common international obligations and bilateral agreements aimed at ensuring effective border protection. The overall aim of the project is - to expand institutional capacities of LT and PL Border Guards Services for better cooperation in governance of public safety in cross-border region. The duration of the project – 24 months. The aim will be obtained by implementing two work packages. 1 WP is “Strengthening of cooperation governance” and its specific objective – to improve the cooperation governance of Lithuanian and Polish border guards’ officers in order to strengthen joint actions in the border region. This specific objective will be obtained by implementing activity 1.1. The development of UAV's range extension study and activity 1.2. The development of proposals for a new cooperation' solution. Particular deliverables will be worked out: 1 Study on enhancing effectiveness of using UAV's; Proposal for cooperation (developed by internal working group); Publicity measures prepared. 2 WP is “Consolidation of institutional capabilities for better cooperation management” and its specific objective – to enhance the capabilities of the State Border Guard Services necessary for the joint ensuring of public security in the border region. This specific objective will be obtained by implementing activity 2.1. The professional tactical training of border guard officers and activity 2.2. The improvement of technical abilities of partners for joint operations. Particular deliverables will be worked out: 1 joint training curriculum for improvement of tactical abilities for joint international operations of border guards facing geopolitical threats and ensuring safety in the LT-PL border area will be developed; 198 officers from partners institutions will take part in joint training curriculum from 5 modules/schemes (LP1 – 66; PP2 -66, PP3 - 66); 80 officers in PL will be trained for safe tactical driving of patrol cars; a total of 152 units of specialized equipment for improvement of technical abilities of partners and for joint actions will be purchased (LP1-140, PP2 -7 vehicles with equipment, PP3-5 UAS) and this will enable comprehensive border monitoring both on the ground and from the sky, thereby increasing operational efficiency. The target groups of the project are – Lithuanian and Polish Border Guard services, national/regional/local authorities, general public. Three legal entities from two countries State Border Guard Service under the Ministry of the Interior of Republic of Lithuania, Podlaski Border Guard Regional Unit of Maj. Gen. Henryk Minkiewicz and Warmińsko-Mazurski Border Guard Division will implement the project and cooperate during project as well as up to one year after project completion. The main common objective will remain the same – ensure public security in LT-PL cross border region by implementing common and joint activities (joint patrolling, fight against illegal migration, pursuit of criminals, exchange of information etc.). The development of UAV's range extension study for border monitor will foster to innovative common solutions. The expanded partnership will empower to act more confident for common well-being in Europe.

Expected Achievements (EN): To improve the cooperation governance of Lithuanian and Polish border guards officers in order to strengthen joint actions in the border region To enhance the capabilities of the State Border Guard Services necessary for the joint ensuring of public security in the border region

Project outputs: Expanded cooperation of border guards aiming public safety (EN)
Improved government of cooperation in LT-PL cross-border for public security (EN)

Thematic information

Managing natural and man-made threats, risk management Governance, partnership Safety

Priority: (VI-A_Lt-Pl_3) Strengthening cooperation of local stakeholders

Priority specific objective: ISO6.6. Other actions to support better cooperation governance (all strands)

Priority policy objective (Interreg specific objective): PO6 (ISO1) A better cooperation governance

Type of intervention: 173 Enhancing institutional capacity of public authorities and stakeholders to implement territorial cooperation projects and initiatives in a cross-border, transnational, maritime and inter-regional context

Partners (3)

Lead Partner: Valstybės sienos apsaugos tarnyba prie Lietuvos Respublikos vidaus reikalų ministerijos

Partner’s ID if not PIC: LT886082515

Address: Savanoriu ave. , 03116 Vilnius, Lithuania

Legal status: public

Organisation type: National public authority

Website: http://www.pasienis.lt

Total budget: EUR 1 034 685.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 827 748.00

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 80.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 206 937.00

Contractors:

Name: UAB "SIRMA"
VAT registration or tax identification number: LT00005065318
Name: UAB Valdo leidykla
VAT registration or tax identification number: LT829139917
Name: UAB ECHO STAMP
VAT registration or tax identification number: LT114371917
Name: Inida, UAB
VAT registration or tax identification number: LT337522515
Name: UAB "Kamo LT"
VAT registration or tax identification number: LT886082515
Name: Artzena MB
VAT registration or tax identification number: LT100015282618
Name: UAB "4office"
VAT registration or tax identification number: LT886082515
Name: "GrandVila"
VAT registration or tax identification number: LT100008029116
Name: UAB "Good to know"
VAT registration or tax identification number: LT100013975911

Warmińsko-Mazurski Oddział Straży Granicznej

Name: Warmińsko-Mazurski Oddział Straży Granicznej

Partner’s ID if not PIC: 510207605

Address: Sikorskiego, 11-400 Kętrzyn, Poland

Legal status: public

Organisation type: National public authority

Website: http://www.wm.strazgraniczna.pl

Total budget: EUR 477 768.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 382 214.40

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 80.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 95 553.60

Podlaski Oddział Straży Granicznej im. gen. dyw. Henryka Minkiewicza

Name: Podlaski Oddział Straży Granicznej im. gen. dyw. Henryka Minkiewicza

Partner’s ID if not PIC: 050440036

Address: J. Bema , 15-370 Bialystok, Poland

Legal status: public

Organisation type: National public authority

Website: http://www.podlaski.strazgraniczna.pl

Total budget: EUR 487 497.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 389 997.60

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 80.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 97 499.40

Partners map

Partners and Projects info

Warmińsko-Mazurski Border Guard Division

Joint initiatives for strengthening Lithuanian and Polish border safeguard

Partners and Projects info

Podlaski Border Guard Regional Unit Of Maj. Gen. Henryk Minkiewicz

Joint initiatives for strengthening Lithuanian and Polish border safeguard

Partners and Projects info

State Border Guard Service under the Ministry of the Interior of Republic of Lithuania

Joint initiatives for strengthening Lithuanian and Polish border safeguard

Lead partner

Project partner

Summary

Project name (EN): Joint initiatives for strengthening Lithuanian and Polish border safeguard

Project acronym: Border safeguard

Project ID: LTPL00371

Project start date: 2025-06-01

Project end date: 2027-05-31

Project status: ongoing

Relevant linked projects:

Project “Cooperation of Lithuanian and Poland border guard services”, co-financed by INTERREG V-A LT-PL Cooperation Programme No. LT-PL-3R-199, has been implemented in period 2019-2021. The aim of the project - to strengthen institutional capacities and cooperation of Lithuanian and Polish Border Guard Services in order to decrease transnational criminality in Lithuanian and Polish border region.
This project was the first to be jointly developed, financed and successfully implemented by the Lithuanian and Polish Border Guard Services. It was a project that established a partnership between the two institutions in the area of project implementation, formed a joint project implementation team and established new contacts between officers at the practical level. (EN) | Project No. LT-PL-3R-199 has equipped officers with specialized tools for joint patrolling along the Lithuanian-Polish border, enhancing their knowledge and tactical skills in vehicle and personnel inspection, combating irregular migration, and conducting criminal intelligence. The guidelines prepared by the partners' experts have provided framework for implementing political agreements between the States. These guidelines have also identified key areas where expert insights and cooperation are essential, such as the practical exchange of information during duties and the need for a secure communication channel. The scientific conference organized by the project offered a platform to discuss the latest challenges and provided insights for improving joint operations and cooperation.
This new project creates synergy in several ways. It will strengthen institutional and staff cooperation, increase trust in the partnership, and expand the partnership with the inclusion of a new partner from Poland.
Partners' experts will explore new collaboration areas to mitigate hybrid attacks, implement new expertise, and share best practices. Research on using UAVs will facilitate data collection and secure information exchange between partners, offering new solutions to enhance technical abilities. The new joint training curriculum will improve tactical skills with a focus on managing current geopolitical threats, complementing previously developed skills. More officers will achieve a high level of knowledge and preparedness for joint action.
The involvement of a new Polish partner will sustain the response' capacity on the Polish side. The specialized equipment acquired through the project will enhance joint activities and strengthen the protection of the Lithuanian-Polish border, improve public security on the regional level. This project ensure continuity of the previous project and creates significant synergy within the partnership without duplication. (EN), Project “Development of cooperation of Lithuanian and Poland border guard services”, co-financed by INTERREG V-A LT-PL Cooperation Programme No. LT-PL-5R-400 has been implemented in period 2021-2022. The aim of the project - to reinforce the capacities of LT and PL Border Guard Services jointly respond to emergency situations in cross-border area. This project was the second to be jointly developed, financed and successfully implemented by the Lithuanian and Polish Border Guard Services. It helped to develop a partnership between the two institutions and contacts of officers in the area of project implementation. (EN) | The project provided the officers with specialized equipment for joint and common acting within the Lithuanian-Poland border region, knowledge and improvement of tactical skills for joint management of crisis situations as well as COVID19 pandemic. The Memorandum of understanding for exchange of information and in line with Guidelines regarding long-term cooperation has been developed by the partners' experts.
This new project, which will be implemented with the involvement of an additional new partner from the Polish side and aimed to expand institutional capacities of Lt and PL Border Guards Services for better cooperation in governance of public safety in cross-border region, makes synergy to the project in several ways:
- Extended institutional partnership in the field of border protection.
- The newly prepared tactical ability enhancement curriculum will strengthen and expand the acquired skills for joint responses to geopolitical threats and crisis management, and for conducting joint activities to ensure public safety in the region. On the Polish side, the number of officers able to participate in joint operations at the border region at the same professional level will be increased. The number of cooperating officers will grow up and new contacts will be established.
- An increased group of experts will apply their diverse expertise to develop joint cooperation proposals in the fight against hybrid attacks and share best practices. The use of UAVs for data collection and smoother information transmission by extension of UAVs range will provide new insights for joint technological solutions in this area.
- New and sustainable equipment will supplement the existing technological resources necessary for operations, strengthen the service's advantage in the region, and contribute to the more effective implementation of bilateral agreements for ensuring security in Europe.
This project creates significant synergy within the partnership without duplication. (EN)

Total budget/expenditure: EUR 1 999 950.00

Total EU funding (amount): EUR 1 599 960.00

Total EU funding (co-financing rate): 80.00%

Co-financing sources:

ERDF: Amount, EUR 1 599 960.00. Co-financing rate, 80.00%.

Investments, deliverables, policy contributions

(bullets are inserted automatically and may be incorrectly placed)

Deliverables:

Study on enhancing effectiveness of using UAV's
Proposal for cooperation
Number of meetings
Public events
Digital communication
Promotional materials
Number of jointly developed training curriculum
Participations in joint training schemes
Number of specialized equipment

Contribution to wider strategies and policies:

EUStrategyBalticSeaRegion Project will contribute directly to EUBSR objective “Connect the region“ sub-objective ”Better cooperation in fighting cross-border crime“ action (2021) Action 2: Strengthening mechanisms for joint strategic and operational actions protecting human beings and societies from criminal threats“. Project addresses common challenges faced by both countries within cross-border region which have been coursed by global issues such as COVID19 pandemic, irregular migration, secondary migration (Lithuania and Poland now is transit countries for irregular migrants), aggressive war situation between Ukraine and Russia. Many problems reduce security in the region, such as increase in crime, the presence of a large number of enemy-sponsored subversive groups, the identification and apprehension of which is carried out by the public security authorities and the cooperation in this direction is vital. The border area is known as the Suwalki Gap, the territory between Russian Kaliningrad Oblast and Belarus, which will be used by soldiers and citizens fleeing war which is identified as the most insecure area by military experts. Both LT and PL are members of the Schengen Area, ensuring the free movement of persons by fulfilling all requirements associated with this membership. This includes the absence of controls on individuals crossing internal borders, which aligns with the Union’s objective of establishing an area without internal frontiers (Article 26(2) TFEU and the Schengen acquis). Project aims to enhance the public security in LT-PL cross-border region and Europe by increasing collaboration between Border Guard Services in the Programme area, expanding cooperation network by involving new partner from PL as well as strengthening the capacities of project partners to manage joint actions and cooperation in case of geopolitical threats. Strengthening national security is considered to be the highest objective of the domestic and foreign policy of Lithuania and Poland.
Other The project aligns with the "Strategy towards a fully functioning and resilient Schengen area," updated by the European Commission in 2021. This project directly contributes to the strategy's goal of reinforcing the Schengen area's internal implementation, emphasizing that close cooperation between Member States in preventing and fighting security threats is crucial to sustaining and compensating for the absence of controls at internal borders.
The project also addresses another key objective of the strategy: improving governance to promote trust between Member States and enhancing crisis preparedness. The free flow of people, goods, and services is central to the European Union and is vital for Europe's recovery following the coronavirus crisis and irregular migration flows. The updated strategy by the Commission highlights the challenges faced by the Schengen area in recent years and sets out a path to preserve its benefits.
Common action at the Union level is necessary for Member States to cope with today's challenges. Through closer cooperation and interaction between the Lithuanian and Polish Border Guard Services, this project will directly enhance institutional capacities to address issues that negatively impact the security of EU citizens and their right to free movement within the Lithuania-Poland cross-border region in wider range. This is crucial in light of global issues such as the COVID-19 pandemic, irregular and secondary migration, and the aggressive war situation between Ukraine and Russia.
The cooperation of public security authorities in this direction is vital. The project aims to expand institutional capacities of LT and PL Border Guards Services for better cooperation in governance of public safety in cross-border region. PP2 will be able to deploy more officers from PP3 with the same level of expertise and new state-of-the-art UAV equipment.
Other COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS on the EU Security Union Strategy, COM (2020). Globalization and crisis determined complicity of security threats over the Europe. Citizens cannot be protected only through Member States acting on their own. Building on our strengths to work together has never been more essential. Significant legal, practical and support tools are already in place, but need to be both strengthened and better implemented. Much progress has been made to improve the exchange of information and intelligence cooperation with Member States and to close down the space in which terrorists and criminals operate. But fragmentation remains. This new strategy shows that a genuine and effective Security Union needs to combine a strong core of instruments and policies to deliver security in practice with a recognition that security has implications for all parts of society and all public policies. The EU needs to ensure a secure environment for everyone, whatever their racial or ethnic origin, religion, belief, gender, age or sexual orientation. The project contributes to the priority “A strong European security ecosystem” and one of key actions “Cooperation and information exchange”. Collaboration of partners at managerial and operational levels will enhance quality and extensivity of the process of information exchange. Joint training will be focused on joint actions management in cases of crisis situation and geopolitical threats for national and Europe security. New partnership, new knowledges and equipment will ensure effectiveness of both countries’ joint action coordination aiming to safe Europe and will increase effectiveness of functioning of State Border Guard Services at LT and PL cross-border region.
Other The project will contribute to implementation of bilateral agreement between Governments of the Republic of Lithuania and the Republic of Poland, signed on 14/3/2006. The project will increase the effectiveness of activity of Lithuanian and Polish Border Guard Services in the area of public Security because of strengthened institutional capacities related on management of joint actions in case of geopolitical threats and crisis situations, control irregular migration, transportation of goods and people, prevention of international criminality and investigation. The project will lead to expansion of partnership networks, synergy of partners institutions tools and measures for the same aim - public security and safe Europe. The project will enhance cooperation and interaction of partners on optimization of human resources and equipment within controlling the mane and local roads along the internal border. The research on UAV’s more efficient using will ensure taking new solution on data collection, information exchange and presents for other countries and border controls points an example for technical improvement of functioning. Experts will provide the proposals for combating hybrid attacks. New equipment and tactical capacities of officers in Lithuanian and Polish cross-border region will enable to improve joint actions and collaboration, enhance the trust and respect of society in Border guard service. The partnership will allow manage new challenges, joint development of solutions and common implementation will lead to efficiency of partners and benefits to general society as well as socio-economic partners in the region.
Other The project supports the European Green Deal's objectives of reducing pollution, preserving biodiversity, promoting sustainable resource use, and combating climate change in particular aspects:
- The project’s focus on improving professional skills through tactical training enhances the institutional capacity to respond to geopolitical threats in a sustainable manner. Well-trained officers can implement greener practices and utilize advanced technologies more effectively, supporting long-term sustainability goals.
- The project includes a study to enhance the use of UAVs in border operations. UAVs can monitor the environment more effectively, providing faster and clearer data. This improved monitoring can help in early detection of environmental issues such as illegal dumping or deforestation, thereby contributing to environmental protection efforts.
- Using UAVs for monitoring reduces the need for traditional patrol vehicles, which are usually powered by fossil fuels. This shift decreases the carbon footprint of border operations, contributing to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
- Modern specialized equipment and improved training enhance the operational efficiency of border guard activities. Efficient operations typically mean reduced resource consumption and lower emissions, as activities are conducted more swiftly and with fewer redundancies.
- During the implementation of the project, it is planning to reduce to the minimum of documentation and other material printing. By eliminating the printing, the project directly reduces paper consumption, thus saving trees and decreasing the environmental impact associated with paper production, including energy use and pollution from paper mills.

Deliverable (other than infrastructural investment) areas:

, , , ,

Programme Common Output Indicator:

RCO 085 - Participations in joint training schemes, Measurement unit:
RCO 087 - Organisations cooperating across borders, Measurement unit:

Programme Common Result Indicator:

RCR 084 - Organisations cooperating across borders after project completion, Measurement unit:
RCR 081 - Completions of joint training schemes, Measurement unit:

Project part of European Union Macro-Regional or Sea Basin Strategy: EUSBSR

EUSBSR Priority (Policy) area / Horizontal action:

EUSBSR Degree of compliance:

Information regarding the data in keep.eu on the programme financing this project

Financing programme

2021 - 2027 Interreg VI-A Lithuania-Poland

Latest month of project-partner-call data publication

2026-01

No. of projects in keep.eu / Total no. of projects (% of projects in keep.eu)

100 / 100 (100%)

No. of project partnerships in keep.eu / Total no. of project partnerships (% of project partnerships in keep.eu)

250 / 250 (100%)

Notes on the data

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Joint initiatives for strengthening Lithuanian and Polish border safeguard

Description

Thematic information

Partners (3)

Partners map

Summary

Investments, deliverables, policy contributions

Information regarding the data in keep.eu on the programme financing this project

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