In September-October 2025, the Ministry for Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine is organising a series of regional consultations on the draft ‘Specifics of Implementing the Concept of reforming local self-government and territorial organisation of power in Ukraine in the context of military challenges and preparations for Ukraine’s accession to the European Union’ (hereinafter referred to as the ‘Draft Specifics of Implementing the Concept’).

The next region-specific consultation will take place in Poltava on 19 September, and will cover the following regions: Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kyiv, Luhansk, Poltava, Sumy, Kharkiv, Cherkasy, and Chernihiv, as well as the city of Kyiv.

Representatives from local governments at all levels, civil society institutions, and experts, academics, and practitioners are invited to participate in the event. Online participation is possible upon prior registration. The registration form is available at the link (registration is open until 21:00 on 17 September).

The Concept of Reforming Local Self-Government and Territorial Organisation of Power in Ukraine, adopted by the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine (No. 333-r) dated 1 April 2014, became the key vision document that initiated the decentralisation reform. It provided communities with new opportunities for development and demonstrated the effectiveness and sustainability of local self-government amid a full-scale invasion. The reform was also highly praised by international partners and Ukrainian citizens.

The ‘Draft Specifics of Implementing the Concept’ preserves the ideology, goals, and principles of the 2014 reform. However, in light of the military challenges and prospects for European integration, it clarifies tasks and defines new measures necessary to complete the reform and further develop local self-government and the territorial organisation of power.

Regional consultations will be an important step in developing updated approaches to continuing the reform process and ensuring its irreversibility.

Earlier, the Ministry for Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine presented the ‘Draft Specifics of Implementing the Concept’ for public discussion. Comments and suggestions can be submitted until 24 September 2025 by emailing mlg33minhromad@gmail.com.

The first consultation of this kind took place in Odesa on 12 September and covered five regions: Vinnytsia, Kirovohrad, Mykolaiv, Odesa, and Kherson.

Regional consultations are organised by the Ministry for Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine with the support of the Council of Europe within the project ‘Strengthening Multilevel Governance And Local Democracy To Support Ukraine’s Recovery’, implemented by the Centre of Expertise for Multilevel Governance at the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe as part of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Ukraine ‘Resilience, Recovery and Reconstruction’ for 2023–2026.