On 5 September, a joint public online meeting of WG2 and WG3 of the Ukrainian National Platform of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum was held, entitled “The Role of Ukraine Facility in Advancing Environmental and Economic Reforms.”
The event aimed to familiarise a wider audience with Ukraine Facility programme implementation, key elements and implementation of the Ukraine Plan, and discuss challenges and civil society’s role in advancing reforms.
Ukraine Facility is a multi-year European Union programme aimed at recovering and modernising Ukraine’s economy, as well as implementing key reforms for integration into the European economic space. It combines financial support, loans, and grants, focusing on:
- Structural economic changes and deregulation,
- Digitalisation and innovation,
- Business recovery and entrepreneurship support,
- Energy resilience and green transition,
- Governance reform and anti-corruption efforts.
At the same time, Ukraine Facility’s success depends not only on state institutions but also on the quality and activity of civil society participation.
Civil Society: Functions and Potential
European practice shows that active participation of civil society organisations in developing, implementing, and monitoring reforms increases transparency and effectiveness of governance processes. Civil society organisations perform several key functions: they act as observers of legislative compliance, initiate innovative solutions, provide expert policy assessment, and facilitate citizen engagement in decision-making. Active engagement of civil society organisations not only increases reform legitimacy but also promotes greater inclusiveness and accountability in decision-making, which is particularly important for the country’s European integration course. Additionally, an institutionally strong civil society can act as a catalyst for systemic changes, influence the formation of strategic development priorities, and ensure sustainable control over the use of state and donor resources.
“European integration isn’t just about harmonising legislation or financial programmes, but a complex joint process where civil society participation becomes a key indicator for the EU that Ukraine is implementing the European model of multi-level governance. At the national level, reform programmes often do not consider local community specifics, and NGOs can convey this voice, ensuring that policies and regulations meet the real needs of entrepreneurs, local initiatives, and citizens. The economic dimension of this process is particularly important: public participation contributes to creating a transparent business environment, facilitates SME access to resources, stimulates innovation, and increases territorial competitiveness. True sustainability of change is achieved only when society understands their value, supports reforms, and feels concrete economic and social benefits from their implementation,” noted Iryna Kuropas, Coordinator of UNP EaP CSF WG2.
What role does civil society play in this process? Several key areas can be identified:
- Analytics and expertise — NGOs conduct independent research to assess how reforms affects the economy, business, and communities. They help understand where problems exist and where business can be developed and new jobs created.
- Monitoring and public oversight — NGOs track how reforms and programmes are implemented, whether funds are spent transparently, and whether planned results are achieved. This reduces corruption risks and increases trust from business and citizens.
- Advocacy — NGOs prepare proposals for government and local authorities to improve laws and programmes. They defend the interests of communities and entrepreneurs, helping make policies fairer and more effective.
- Communication with society — NGOs explain to people what reforms do, why they are important, and what effect they will have on communities and business. This helps citizens actively participate in reform processes and makes government more transparent.
Challenges for the Civil Sector
Despite the great potential for civil society participation in Ukraine Facility processes, several systemic problems complicate effective engagement of NGOs and citizens:
- Information asymmetry — the state and international partners do not always provide sufficiently clear and timely information. As a result, civil society organisations and businesses often do not know about participation opportunities, programme criteria, or rule changes, limiting their ability to influence processes effectively.
- Insufficient NGO capacity — many organisations lack adequate funding, qualified staff, or experience working with EU technical documents. This complicates their ability to analyse policies, prepare proposals, or participate in high-level reform monitoring.
- Sector fragmentation — lack of coordination and common position among civil society organisations reduces their influence on state policy. Often organisations act separately, complicating coordinated lobbying for community and business interests.
- Risk of formalising participation — consultations are sometimes conducted more “for reporting” than for genuinely considering NGO opinions. This creates a situation where civil society participation becomes symbolic rather than influencing decision-making.
- Low citizen awareness — the complexity of reform topics and procedures creates space for disinformation and manipulation. Many people do not understand how to influence processes and therefore do not actively participate, weakening programme effectiveness.
The Ukraine Facility programme is viewed not just as a funding source but as an instrument for deepening cooperation between the state, business, and civil society. Within research on “Revitalising the Ukrainian Economy: How to Build a New Transparent Cooperation Model Focused on Business Needs,” work focuses on:
- Analysing the role of civil society organisations in shaping economic policy,
- Strengthening local NGO capacity for active participation in reforms,
- Promoting transparency and accountability of reforms at regional level,
- Developing dialogue between communities, business, and authorities.
We remind you that the research was conducted within an initiative implemented as part of the project “Supporting the Activities of the Ukrainian National Platform of the EaP CSF in 2025–2026,” carried out by the Institute for Economic Research and Policy Consulting with financial support from the European Union.
Conclusion
Ukraine Facility is a test of Ukrainian civil society’s maturity. The more active and professional the civil sector’s actions, the higher the transparency of reforms and society’s trust in European integration processes.
For the Yavoriv Local Economic Development Agency, this means not limiting itself to research and analytics but actively working to strengthen the capacity of local civil society organisations. Such organisations can become key agents of change, ensuring effective use of available resources, genuine consideration of community needs and interests, and contributing to long-term and stable implementation of economic reforms.
Information provided by Iryna Kuropas, Coordinator of UNP WG2
The event was held within the project “Supporting the Activities of the Ukrainian National Platform of the EaP CSF in 2025–2026,” implemented by the Institute for Economic Research and Policy Consulting with financial support from the European Union. Individual opinions expressed at the event are the sole responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union or the Institute for Economic Research and Policy Consulting.
