It is important that the idea of Ukraine’s rapprochement with the European Union is consonant with the idea of an open society. With these words, Yevhen Bystrytsky, Director of the International Renaissance Foundation during the period of the creation of the Ukrainian National Platform, began his welcoming speech.
On April 29, 2026, the event “Ukraine on the Path to the EU: The Power of Civil Society” was held.
The event was organized by the Ukrainian National Platform of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum in partnership with the International Renaissance Foundation and the European Union within the framework of the project “Joining the EU Together”.
The event was dedicated to Ukraine’s receipt of the conditions for accession to the European Union, as well as the 15th anniversary of the creation of the UNP EaP СSF.
15 years is more than a date. It is a story of the power of the civil voice, the energy of joint action and true partnership.
The welcoming speeches were delivered by Yevhen Bystrytsky, Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze and Oleksandr Sushko — people who stood at the origins of the Platform’s creation and deeply understand the role of civil society in the country’s reform, in particular in the European integration processes.
The event focused on an expert panel “Civil Society in the EU Accession Process: Partner, Critic, or Driver of Change?”
The discussion focused on the role of civil society in the negotiation process for Ukraine’s accession to the European Union. It discussed how civil society organizations can combine different roles: being a partner of the state in implementing reforms, a critic to ensure accountability, and at the same time a driver of systemic change.
The panel speakers — Iryna Sushko, Viktoriia Melnyk, Vira Nedzvedska, Vyacheslav Roy, Anton Antonenko and Iryna Kuropas — shared their vision of the role of their organizations in the current conditions of the negotiation process. The discussion was moderated by the coordinator of WG3, Nataliya Andrusevych.
Ruslan Havrylyuk, national coordinator of the UNP, presented the activities of the Platform, its key areas of work and its role in building a pro-European Ukraine. European integration and accession to the EU remain among the main priorities of the UNP in recent years.
A separate part of the event was an interactive quiz “Do you know the platform you are a member of?” as well as a viewing of a selection of photos from 15 years of UNP activity. A warm informal atmosphere, memories and joint photos are something we will return to more than once in 5, 10 or 15 years. Each participant of the event received a symbolic European integration gift containing wishes that, we believe, will be realized in the coming years.
We sincerely thank the speakers, participants and our partners for this meaningful and inspiring day, for expert opinions, memories and faith in the European future of Ukraine.
Special thanks to the International Renaissance Foundation for its support in organizing the event!
Information prepared by Natalia Andrusevych, Iryna Kuropas, members of the Steering Committee of the UNP FGS EaP and Ruslan Havrylyuk, national coordinator of the UNP FGS EaP