Additional Resources for Reforms: Make hay while the sun shines (Ukraine)
Author: Victoria Gumeniuk Kateryna Zarembo
Publisher: International Centre for Policy Studies, Kyiv, Ukraine
13-A Pymonenka Str.
04050 Kyiv
Ukraine
Tel: +380 44 484 4400
Fax: +380 44 484 4402
http://www.icps.kiev.ua
An ICPS Policy Brief
(in English and Ukrainian)
As an EU neighbour and partner country, Ukraine has been a major recipient of EU funds. Allocations aimed at effective execution of reforms brought Ukraine approximately €1.5 billion over 2007-2010 alone . While the country is suffering an economic crisis, these resources are vital for Ukraine to implement a strategic course of reform.
How effective have such funds been for promoting systemic reforms in Ukraine? What can be done to improve this?
First of all, proper planning and prioritisation are necessary. Then, Ukraine needs to clearly articulate its priorities in Brussels and other EU capitals.
Ukraine has never been strategic in its approach and has never engaged with the EU at early stages, that is, when the EU budget was being elaborated. Thus, EU funding mostly reflected the vision of the European Commission with little input from Ukraine. Yet reforms and alignment to EU norms cost a good deal. Obviously, Ukraine needs to bear the main burden, but EU funding should also be clearly matched to domestic resources
and properly targeted.
Ukraine is about to make an unprecedented step and clearly state its priorities to the EU by end of 2010, until the EU spending plan, the 2014-2018 MAFF (multiannual financial framework) is cast in stone.
PB_#5_2010_UKR.pdf (135.41 kB)
PB_#5_2010_ENG.pdf (155.08 kB)
