The Ministry of Development, together with EU4Reconstruction (GIZ), is developing a pilot program for reconstruction and frontline areas using EU cohesion policy approaches. The preparation of the document was discussed during a workshop attended by Oleksiy Ryabikin, Deputy Minister of Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine, and Christian Weltzine, Head of EU4Reconstruction at GIZ, Direction 1.
The idea is to move from a set of separate instruments to a comprehensive program model, where support is provided not on a case-by-case basis, but systematically, with clear objectives, measurable results, and transparent management rules.
As Oleksiy Ryabikin noted, frontline and recovery areas are now an absolute priority for state regional policy.
“It is in the frontline regions that the conditions are most difficult, the risks are greatest, but also the demand for quality solutions is highest. In 2025, we used a wide range of support tools: a comprehensive program covered 244 communities and more than 7 million people, more than 50 regulations were adopted, and 39 support mechanisms were launched. In fact, we have formed a new architecture of assistance: from financial mechanisms to management procedures. Now our task is to move to a comprehensive program that will meet EU standards: with clear strategic logic, a system of indicators, transparent management, and control. This should not be just a pilot, but a model that can be scaled up,” Oleksiy Ryabikin emphasized.
He also noted that similar program approaches will be developed for other functional types of territories in the future, taking into account their specific needs and development conditions.
The pilot program is also important in the context of Ukraine’s negotiations with the EU, in particular under Chapter 22, which concerns regional policy and the use of European funds. It should show that Ukraine is already capable of working according to EU rules — with the involvement of partners, a clear distribution of powers between levels of government, a focus on specific results, and a transparent monitoring and control system.
Christian Weltsin emphasized that this is not about financing individual initiatives, but about achieving a common goal through a coordinated program.
“This program is not about a single project. It is about a portfolio of projects that work together to achieve the program’s results. We evaluate them not separately, but collectively. The principle of partnership is important — the structured participation of all stakeholders in the programming and implementation stages. All consultations must be recorded, and the process must be transparent and consistent with both national and EU policies. It is precisely such programs that can receive support from the European Union,” he said.
According to EU4Reconstruction, as part of the preparation and launch of the new program, the European Union’s approach to financing will be tested, whereby funds are allocated not to individual projects but to a clearly defined program with objectives and results. The State Fund for Regional Development (SFRD) can be used as an existing national instrument for this purpose.
The pilot project will provide the Government of Ukraine and the European Union with an opportunity to test a programmatic approach similar to European Union practices, as well as to comprehensively assess the effectiveness of the current model. This will allow determining which elements of the model are functioning properly and which need improvement before Ukraine transitions to full program-oriented financing in the future.
For reference. The introduction of the programmatic approach was made possible by the Government’s approval of a unified approach to defining functional types of territories. These are territories of restoration, territories with special conditions for development (mountainous, forested, steppe, technogenic disasters, etc.), territories of sustainable development, and territories of regional growth poles. Currently, a commission is working under the Ministry of Regional Development to determine which type a particular community belongs to. Already, 123 communities have been classified as recovery territories.