The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine approved the procedure to determine the areas of restoration, as well as to develop, implement and monitor plans for the restoration and development of oblasts and certain municipalities. The relevant resolution was drafted by the Ministry for Municipalities, Territories and Infrastructure Development (Ministry for Restoration) and approved at a government meeting on Tuesday.

The approval of the procedures is expected to accelerate the restoration of municipalities and oblasts affected by the armed aggression, including the restoration of transport, municipal and social infrastructure, residential and public facilities. And thus ensure access to vital services for residents of the affected municipalities.

"Reviewing and updating the state regional policy is crucial for successful restoration. Approval of procedures for determining the areas of restoration, drafting restoration and development plans is a part of this important work. It is essential that the policy is updated from the bottom up, based on the needs of municipalities and oblasts. The state should form a general framework, define key restoration mechanisms and principles, but it is local authorities who initiate projects and plans. Capable municipalities and oblasts are a key to the success of both the restoration process and the European integration of Ukraine," said Oleksandr Kubrakov, Vice Prime Minister for Restoration of Ukraine, Minister for Municipalities, Territories and Infrastructure Development of Ukraine.

According to the approved procedure, a municipality is classified as a restoration area if at least one of the following criteria is met:

• there were hostilities on the territory of the municipality;
• the municipality's territory or its part was temporarily occupied;
• there is destruction of infrastructure and housing facilities on the territory of the municipality as a result of hostilities and/or shelling;
• the territory of the municipality has a significant population displacement to other oblasts and/or other states and a dramatic deterioration in the level of social and economic development, etc.

To assess and determine whether a municipality belongs to a restoration area, the Ministry establishes a commission, including MPs of Ukraine representing the relevant committee of the Verkhovna Rada. The commission considers proposals prepared by the Ministry, assesses whether the municipalities meet the criteria and decides on their classification as restoration areas. The list of municipalities referred to as restoration areas is approved by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine in the State Strategy for Regional Development of Ukraine.

Furthermore, the Government approved the Procedure to create, implement and monitor the plan for the restoration and development of oblasts, as well as plans for the municipal restoration and development. The relevant plans are to be drafted for the period until 31 December 2027.

The draft plan for the restoration and development of oblasts is prepared by the Ministry together with other concerned central and local executive authorities and takes into account the existing potential and prospective specialisation of the territories. The drafting of the plan begins within 10 days after the Cabinet of Ministers approves the list of municipalities referred to the restoration area.

The regional restoration and development plan includes, in particular: tasks and measures for restoration and development; projected need and possible funding sources; indicators of tasks and measures implemented for restoration and development and their predicted values; a list of regional (local) development projects to be implemented as part of the plan; as well as the regional restoration and development plans. The plan for oblast recovery and development is to be approved by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine.

In turn, local self-government bodies, within two months after the Ministry publishes information on preparing a plan for the recovery and development of oblasts, submit a draft plan for the restoration and development of the municipality for approval. This draft plan includes: tasks and measures for restoration and development; projected need and possible funding sources; indicators of tasks and measures implemented for restoration and development and their predicted values; a list of regional (local) development projects.

The Ministry annually monitors the implementation of the plan for the recovery and development of oblasts on the basis of official statistics, information from ministries and other central executive authorities. The monitoring of the implementation of the plan for the restoration and development of oblasts may be based, in particular, on the DREAM recovery management ecosystem and the Geographic Information System for Monitoring and Evaluation of the Development of Oblasts and Municipalities (GIS).