The Ministry for Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine hosted a two-day workshop dedicated to preparing a new cycle of strategic planning for Ukraine’s regional development for 2028–2034.

The event was organised by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) within the framework of the OECD Programme for Ukraine, which supports Ukraine’s accession process to the Organisation and also facilitates the implementation of the reforms necessary for membership and integration into the European Economic Area.

The workshop was the first practical step in preparing Ukraine’s new State Strategy for Regional Development for 2028–2034.

At the same time, it continues the work on meeting the benchmarks under Negotiating Chapter 22 “Regional Policy and Coordination of Structural Instruments”, in particular on the development of a system of multi-level governance, strategic planning, regional development funding, partnerships and Ukraine’s preparation for the future implementation of the European Union’s cohesion policy.

 

 

The event brought together about 70 participants in person and more than 130 online. Representatives from central executive bodies, regional military administrations, local governments, regional development agencies, all-Ukrainian associations of local governments, international organisations, and the expert community joined the workshop.

International experts from Romania, Croatia, Poland, and the United Kingdom also participated in the workshop, sharing their practical experience in the formulation and implementation of regional policy, strategic planning, and preparation for the use of the EU’s cohesion policy tools.

Opening the workshop, Oleksii Riabykin, Deputy Minister for Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine, emphasised that Ukraine is currently transitioning from the conclusion of the current strategic planning cycle to the formulation of a vision for regional development for the next seven years.

According to him, during the last two years Ukraine has laid a solid foundation for this stage: regional development strategies have been updated, almost all communities are covered by strategic planning, over a thousand communities have drawn up medium-term plans for priority public investment, and the DREAM digital ecosystem ensures the integration of strategic and investment planning.

‘We are launching a new cycle of strategic planning for the regional development of Ukraine. The State Strategy for Regional Development should become not merely a strategic and policy document, but the basis for government decision-making, the setting of investment priorities, the concentration of resources, and the recovery and development of the country. The strategy is intended to ensure coherence between national, regional, and local policies, as well as to prepare Ukraine for full participation in the European Union’s cohesion policy,’ said Oleksii Riabykin.

 

 

Special attention during the opening ceremony was paid to cooperation with the OECD. Its experts were among the Government’s key strategic partners during the preparation of the bilateral screening under Negotiation Chapter 22 “Regional Policy and Coordination of Structural Instruments”. This cooperation is now entering a new phase – the practical implementation of the recommendations of the European Commission, the development of a modern system of regional policy, and the preparation of Ukraine for the future use of EU cohesion policy tools.

During two days, the participants, together with OECD international experts, worked on the key elements of Ukraine’s future State Strategy for Regional Development for 2028–2034. In particular, they discussed modern approaches to strategic planning, the alignment of sectoral strategies with the State Strategy for Regional Development, functional types of territories and their priorities, the principles of multi-level governance and partnership, new coordination mechanisms, as well as tools to ensure effective funding for regional development.

 

 

The workshop is organised within the framework of the OECD Project “Supporting Regional and Municipal Reconstruction and Recovery in Ukraine”, which constitutes part of the OECD Programme for Ukraine for 2023–2027. The project aims to support the Ministry for Development in establishing a modern system of regional policy, developing strategic planning, strengthening the institutional capacity of public authorities, and fulfilling Ukraine’s commitments in the process of European integration and accession to the OECD.