EU’s Senior Officials Meeting on Belarus: projects highlight impact of EU support for the people of Belarus

Senior officials from across the European Union gathered in Brussels on 8 October, reaffirming support for the people of Belarus and their democratic aspirations. 

The fourth edition of the EU’s Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) on Belarus brought together representatives from EU institutions, Member States, and Belarusian democratic forces and civil society, including the leader of Belarus’s democratic forces Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya. Held annually since 2022, the meeting has served as a vital platform for coordination between donors and key Belarusian stakeholders to ensure that assistance responds to the evolving needs of the Belarusian population. 

As part of this year’s gathering, three EU-funded projects presented the impact of their work helping Belarusians on the ground. With EU support, they are making a real difference for Belarusians in the field of media, education, and human rights. 

Belarus Tomorrow

The Belarus Tomorrow project offers an alternative story to the one told on state television. Through an independent TV platform free of Internet restrictions, hundreds of thousands of Belarusians are now able to access uncensored video content directly on TV in their homes in Belarus. Covering topics from daily life, to politics, the economy, culture, identity, and entertainment, Belarus Tomorrow delivers quality shows from 25 independent Belarusian media outlets and bloggers in both Belarusian and Russian language. 

This project is based on the premise that supporting independent media in Belarus isn’t just beneficial for Belarus, it makes the entire European Union safer.  By strengthening independent Belarusian media, Belarus Tomorrow helps to counter Kremlin-backed narratives, raise critical thinking and cultivate democratic values.  

Education for Belarusians

Many Belarusians forced into exile or temporarily traveling from Belarus face language barriers, legal insecurity, and financial hardships, which in turn impacts their ability to integrate into universities and job markets. The EU-funded project Education for Belarusians aims to help Belarusians overcome these barriers by providing education and professional opportunities, ensuring the continuity of academic pursuits, or supporting Belarusians in rebuilding their careers abroad. 

With the understanding that education and empowerment are vital tools against repression, the project also provides opportunities for personal development, networking, and community building, thereby empowering Belarusians to build safe and dignified futures in the EU despite relocation or upon returning to Belarus. 

Victims Facility 

Despite the waves of prisoner releases in recent months, repression in Belarus has not stopped. The Victims Facility provides emergency and practical support to Belarusians facing repression. This includes help for political prisoners and their families, legal and psychological support, relocation assistance, security training and backing for human rights defenders and independent journalists.

EU support has made it possible to respond quickly to urgent needs and to keep the assistance going without interruption. The results are concrete. Thanks to continuous EU support, more than 7,500 cases of assistance have been provided since 2020 by a coalition of Belarusian human rights organisations, proactively adapting their work to the evolving human rights situation in the country.

A backdrop of ongoing repression

This year’s meeting took place against the backdrop of continuous human rights repression by the Lukashenka regime, despite recent waves of political prisoner releases by the regime. Belarusian participants emphasised the urgent need for sustained political and financial support amid growing transnational threats and persecution.

In response, the EU and Member States reaffirmed their commitment to supporting the democratic aspirations and fundamental freedoms of the people of Belarus. Support for human rights, civil society and independent media will remain priorities in the path towards a free and democratic Belarus.

The EU and Member States also discussed how to strengthen support for released prisoners through rapid support for rehabilitation and reintegration. 

At the same time, the EU recalled the alternative path. In 2021, President von der Leyen announced a comprehensive plan of up to €3 billion to support a democratic future for Belarus. Once the country embarks on a peaceful democratic transition, the EU will be ready to activate the plan and provide unprecedented support from the very beginning.

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