Ukraine, jointly with the Council of Europe, has begun planning the next stage of cooperation for 2027-2030: what exactly the country needs, what support is important to maintain, and what areas will become priorities in the context of recovery and preparation for full EU membership.

 

 

Oleksii Riabykin, Deputy Minister for Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine, and Nataliia Kozlovska, Deputy Minister for Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine, joined the strategic dialogue ‘Action Plan for Ukraine 2027–2030: Challenges and Priorities’. The event was attended by representatives of state authorities, all-Ukrainian associations of local governments, international partners and experts.

The Council of Europe was represented at the event by Claus Neukirch, Director of Programme Co-ordination, and Claudia Luciani, Director of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities.

 

 

The meeting was devoted to defining a common vision of how Ukraine and the Council of Europe will cooperate in the coming years. The results of the discussion will form the basis of the Council of Europe’s new Action Plan for Ukraine.

The period 2027–2030 is particularly important for Ukraine. This is a time of continuing reforms, fulfilling commitments within the framework of EU accession, rebuilding the country after the war and strengthening trust in state institutions. That is why, during the dialogue, the participants discussed what systemic changes the state needs and what support the Council of Europe can provide.

 

 

Particular attention was paid to the protection of human rights, the development of transitional justice, the strengthening of democratic institutions, preparations for post-war elections, support for internally displaced persons and veterans, as well as the development of local self-government and countering disinformation.

‘First of all, I would like to express my gratitude to the Council of Europe for its long-standing support for local self-government reform and the process of restoring and strengthening Ukraine’s democratic institutions in the context of war. Thanks to this cooperation, we have made significant progress in reforming multi-level governance and improving legislation in line with the European Charter of Local Self-Government,’ said Oleksii Riabykin.

 

 

The Deputy Minister said that right now, the Ministry for Development is working with the Council of Europe on key ways to support communities and government institutions. This includes updating the plan to reform local self-government during the war and European integration, boosting the financial capacity of communities, getting ready for legislative changes, and figuring out how to get government bodies back up and running after martial law ends. Another priority area is the delineation of powers between local self-government and the state according to the principle of subsidiarity. The Government has approved the Draft Law ‘On the Principles of Delineation and Distribution of Powers between Levels of Public Administration’. The document was developed by a working group under the Ministry for Development with the expert participation of the Council of Europe. Work is currently continuing on the preparation of a draft law on the delineation of areas of competence by levels of local self-government.

 

 

‘We are counting on the further expert support of the Council of Europe during the preparation of legislative changes. This will help us to make quality decisions and build a strong and modern state,’ said Oleksii Riabykin.

The results of the strategic dialogue will form the basis for further planning of joint initiatives and cooperation programmes between Ukraine and the Council of Europe. Such interaction is an important component of strengthening democratic institutions and supporting reforms in the long term.