Open Letter from WG3 “Environment, Climate Change and Energy Security” of the Ukrainian Platform of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum and WG5 “Energy, Transport, Environment and Climate Change” of the Ukrainian Side of the Ukraine-EU Civil Society Platform
Regarding the importance of consistent implementation of systemic environmental reforms and realisation of the state’s European integration course
8 July 2025
Representatives of environmental and climate civil society organisations, members of working groups on environment, climate, and energy security of two pro-European platforms:
Taking into account that green reconstruction and European integration are among the main priorities of UNP EaP CSF and US CSP Ukraine-EU,
Considering that implementing EU legal acts in environment and climate change creates a foundation for Ukraine’s reconstruction on green principles and foundations,
Emphasising that Ukraine’s European future guarantees our state’s security in all dimensions, including environmental, climate, and energy,
Expressing our commitment to European values and principles of environmental protection, including implementing the European Green Deal objectives,
Appeal to all stakeholders to pay attention to and consider the following issues in their work:
- Ukraine’s ambitious plans for EU membership by 2030 require significant efforts and irreversibility of reforms in areas covered by negotiation Chapter 27 “Environment and Climate Change.” Environmental and climate reform requires a systematic approach, strategic vision, and specific sequential steps both in developing and adopting legislation and during its implementation. Preserving institutional memory and consistent personnel policy at the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine are key factors determining Ukraine’s success in meeting EU membership requirements.
- Chapter 27 “Environment and Climate Change,” covering over 200 EU legal acts, is key in Ukraine’s environmental transformation according to European standards and affects virtually all sectors of the country’s economy. Its implementation is undoubtedly one of the most challenging within the negotiation process. Recently, official screening events assessing Ukrainian legislation’s compliance with EU law were successfully conducted, results of which will be published in the European Commission’s report. Taking into account the large number of EU legal acts in Chapter 27 and the complexity of its implementation, we emphasise the importance of consolidating efforts of authorities, the public, and other stakeholders for urgent fulfilment of Ukraine’s commitments, considering public interests in rebuilding Ukraine on the principles of “build back better and greener.”
- As of today, only European integration creates the framework for Ukraine’s green reconstruction. This influence has two dimensions: implementing relevant EU acts in environment and climate change, and conditions for providing financial assistance under Ukraine Facility. Reforms implemented within these two tracks are key factors in integrating environmental and climate considerations into the reconstruction process. We welcome the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine’s initiative to develop the draft law “On Principles of Ukraine’s Green Recovery.” We believe all stakeholders should make maximum efforts for its honest refinement and advocacy, so it not only establishes general principles of green recovery but also enshrines practical mechanisms for implementing these principles in the reconstruction process.
- Spreading false information, which often discredits various stakeholders’ intentions to conduct reforms and advocate important environmental changes that determine both European integration progress and improving citizens’ environmental quality of life, can have a devastating impact on further reform advancement in Ukraine and implementing the European integration course. We ask all concerned citizens not to spread unverified information, which primarily shifts public attention from priority issues to secondary ones and hinders decision-making on which the success of the European integration movement in environment and climate depends.
For reference:
The Ukrainian National Platform of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum (http://eap-csf.org.ua/) is a network of more than 150 non-governmental organizations in Ukraine that advocates Ukrainian interests within the framework of the Eastern Partnership. The platform is part of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum (EaP CSF). The Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum is unique multi-layered regional civil society platform aimed at promoting European integration, facilitating reforms and democratic transformations in the six Eastern Partnership countries – Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine. Serving as the civil society and people-to-people dimension of the Eastern Partnership, the EaP CSF strives to strengthen civil society in the region, boost pluralism in public discourse and policy making by promoting participatory democracy and fundamental freedoms. The EaP CSF is a non-partisan bona fide non-governmental organisation.
The Ukrainian side of the EU-Ukraine Civil Society Platform (https://eu-ua-csp.org.ua/) is the national part of the Ukraine-EU Civil Society Platform, one of the official bilateral bodies of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement. In accordance with Articles 469-470 of the Association Agreement, the Platform officially represents the interests of civil society of Ukraine and the EU in the process of implementation of the Agreement, monitors and publicly controls its implementation. From the Ukrainian side, the Platform includes 15 members – representatives of public associations, trade unions and employers’ organizations. Under their auspices, the CSS unites 282 organizations.
