On 28 October 2024, the working groups of the UNP and the CSP, focused on environment, climate change, transport, and energy security, held a joint meeting to discuss ongoing activities and plan initiatives for 2025.
Agenda:
1. Summary of the working groups’ activities in 2024 (joint parliamentary project, WG3 initiative, high-level forum on EU enlargement, etc.).
2. Preparation for the EaP CSF Summit, which will take place in Vienna on 19-21 November.
3. Preparation of the CSP Declaration.
4. Plans for 2025.
5. Other matters
The meeting participants discussed preparations for the UNP Annual Conference and its agenda. Specifically, they discussed the developed position paper and its review, as well as a public event on the role of civil society in the negotiation process.
WG3 Coordinator Nataliia Andrusevych and WG5 Coordinator Tamara Malkova reported on the main areas of work in 2024, including joint statements and appeals, platform members’ participation during the Berlin Conference on Ukraine’s Recovery (URC), and involvement in the ECOSOC project, as well as the joint initiative to evaluate Ukraine’s implementation of recommendations within the enlargement package, among others.
Ruslan Havryliuk presented the main results of the project coordinated by NECU on the cooperation of working groups from both platforms with the Verkhovna Rada Environmental Policy Committee, (the creation of a dialogue platform, preparation of several analytical documents, and discussions on their conclusions and recommendations with key stakeholders).
The meeting participants were informed about the work being carried out within the EaP CSF framework. Specifically, this included preparation for the EaP CSF Summit in Vienna on 19-21 November, active involvement of WG3 members in speaking roles and moderating panel discussions, and organising a side event; as well as the group’s current activities (preparation of an analytical document on environmental security and the possibility of using the UNP position paper for advocacy purposes).
Tamara Malkova informed the meeting participants about the preparation of a new CSP declaration for the next session.
The participants primarily focused on planning their activities for 2025.
The meeting participants identified potential directions (topics) for next year’s work:
(1) Participation in the negotiation process (direct involvement of individual experts in negotiation groups as well as monitoring and oversight functions);
(2) Work on the Energy and Climate Plan;
(3) Digitalisation and access to environmental data, including access to EIA and SEA registries;
(4) Communicating information from the European to the national level;
(5) Impact on the environment and environmental recovery from the war (support for protected areas, advocacy at the international level);
(6) Strengthening the resilience of the energy sector, addressing radiation and energy security issues within the Peace Formula, and advocating for these issues;
(7) Green recovery (participation in URC, with support from the EaP CSF);
(8) Public participation in the implementation of the Ukraine Facility and the Ukraine Plan;
(9) Establishing a policy monitoring system in the context of good environmental governance, particularly the principle of accountability;
(10) Continuing cooperation with the Verkhovna Rada Environmental Policy Committee;
(11) Assisting communities in their requests for green recovery;
(12) Studying the processes of just transformation in European communities and adapting their experiences to Ukrainian realities;
(13) Promoting European environmental principles at the local level. Participants agreed on the option to submit additional proposals in writing, as well as to supplement and comment on the draft activity plan for the working group for the next year.
Iryna Chernysh proposed preparing an appeal from the working groups of both platforms regarding the inclusion of civil society organisations in the activities of the radiation monitoring working group. Hanna Holubovska-Onisimova suggested approaching the Ministry of Environment again with a request to publish a list of working groups operating under the Ministry on its official website.
Information provided by Nataliia Andrusevych, Coordinator of WG3 of the UNP
The event was held within the framework of the project “Supporting the Activities of the Ukrainian National Platform of the EaP CSF in 2024,” funded by the European Union and implemented by the Institute for Economic Research and Policy Consulting. Individual opinions expressed in the event the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union or the Institute for Economic Research and Policy Consulting.
