UNP EaP CSF Position: Ukraine Facility and the Future Support Model for Ukraine

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Position of the Ukrainian National Platform of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum

Ukraine Facility and the Future Support Model for Ukraine after 2027: Civil Society Position

25 June 2026

The new support model must combine recovery,

democratic transformation and preparation for EU membership

This UNP EaP CSF position paper assesses the role of the Ukraine Facility and Ukraine Plan as key frameworks for Ukraine’s reforms, recovery and European integration, while outlining a vision for the future European support model after 2027. The document analyses the experience of the ‘money-for-reforms’ mechanism, the challenges of implementing reforms during wartime, the role of civil society in ensuring transparency and accountability in reconstruction, and provides recommendations for improving the current Ukraine Facility and establishing a new long-term support framework focused on economic transformation, sustainable development and Ukraine’s preparation for EU membership.

INTRODUCTION

Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine has fundamentally reshaped the state policy context, intertwining the tasks of defence, reconstruction and European integration. In this context, reconstruction is seen not merely as the restoration of infrastructure and the economy or the support of the country’s defence capability, but as an opportunity for deep public administration transformation in line with European standards—reinforcing the importance of reforms, transparency and inclusive decision-making.

The EU’s key financial and institutional support instrument for Ukraine is the Ukraine Facility—a EUR 50 billion long-term mechanism for 2024-2027 aimed at ensuring macro-financial stability, supporting recovery and accelerating European integration. Implementation occurs primarily through the Ukraine Plan, which sets out reforms and investments, with financing disbursed in stages under the ‘money-for-reforms’ principle—contingent on delivering EU-agreed structural changes and performance targets.

Civil society plays a vital role in ensuring effective, transparent and accountable reform and reconstruction processes through policy engagement, independent monitoring and public oversight of international assistance. The UNP EaP CSF serves as an important platform for such engagement, bringing together civil society organisations to coordinate expert positions, advocate for reforms and strengthen CSO participation in Ukraine’s European integration through Eastern Partnership policy instruments.

The Ukraine Facility is closely tied to Ukraine’s preparation for EU membership and the adoption of European public policy standards.

Once the mechanism expires in 2027, a new long-term support framework is expected, focused on structural convergence, regional development and Ukraine’s deeper integration into EU policies and financial instruments.

As the future support architecture for Ukraine is now being shaped, UNP EaP CSF members are contributing to position formulation, priority assessment and reform monitoring, thereby enhancing the transparency, effectiveness and sustainability of transformation processes.

This position paper is based on an expert survey of UNP EaP CSF member organisations, designed to assess civil society engagement with Ukraine Facility implementation mechanisms and to shape a vision for CSO roles in Ukraine’s reconstruction, reform and European integration. The research covered participation in the Ukraine Plan implementation and monitoring, access to financial and technical resources, and visions for the future support model after 2027, including its link to regional development and EU policy integration. The findings were synthesised to formulate the analytical conclusions and recommendations in this document, which reflects the consolidated expert position of the UNP EaP CSF on developing Ukraine’s support mechanisms and strengthening civil society’s role in ensuring reform transparency and effectiveness.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE UKRAINE FACILITY AND UKRAINE PLAN AS A REFORM FRAMEWORK.

This approach reflects current EU policy logic for candidate countries, where financing serves as a tool to drive structural transformation, modernise public administration and gradually align with EU norms and standards.

According to European Commission assessments, the Ukraine Facility has already become one of the key drivers of reform and macro-financial stability in Ukraine. As of 24 April 2026, the Council of the EU has approved six regular grant and loan disbursements under the Ukraine Facility, with total mobilised support reaching EUR 36.8 billion.

According to Ukrainian sources, as of April 2026, 57% of the planned Ukraine Plan measures had been completed.

The Ukraine Plan has enabled the adoption of several important laws and the implementation of reforms. However, at the end of 2025 and the beginning of 2026, the Ukraine Plan implementation encountered significant challenges. According to RRR4U monitoring, by the end of 2025 Ukraine had missed at least 14 Plan indicators worth over EUR 3.9 billion, with most unfulfilled commitments falling in Q4. Some of these indicators concerned key reforms in public administration, energy and anti-corruption policy. This poses risks both for timely EU financing and for the overall coherence of the Ukraine Plan implementation.

One reason for this was political and parliamentary instability in late 2025 and early 2026, which led to delays in passing necessary legislation and blocked some reforms. The Ukraine Plan implementation has thus demonstrated its significant dependence on domestic political stability—a critical factor in the effectiveness of the entire international reconstruction support system.

Civil society organisations generally view the Ukraine Plan concept positively. Key strengths identified include:

  • A clear focus on reforms and measurable results
  • A system of indicators and implementation milestones
  • Enhanced accountability for international financial assistance
  • Gradual alignment of Ukraine’s strategic planning and public policy with EU approaches

At the same time, the UNP EaP CSF member survey reveals systemic challenges in the practical implementation of this framework. Many civil society organisations were not sufficiently involved in shaping the Ukraine Plan or had limited access to information about its content and implementation mechanisms. As a result, for many organisations, the document remains more of a macro-level policy framework than a practical tool for influencing reform and reconstruction.

Moreover, the effectiveness of the Ukraine Plan is affected by broader political and institutional factors, including the complex political situation and periodic legislative crises that can delay necessary reform decisions. Within the financing conditionality framework, this creates additional risks for meeting indicators on time and receiving financial tranches.

Civil society, however, has significant potential to enhance reform effectiveness through independent monitoring, expert policy assessment and analytical support for reform processes. Civil society organisations are a vital element of the checks-and-balances system, ensuring transparent indicator tracking, reform impact analysis and communication between state institutions, international partners and the public.

Survey results show a clear demand for strengthening civil society’s institutional role in implementing and monitoring reforms under the Ukraine Facility. Respondents specifically noted the need for:

  • Permanent consultation mechanisms between government, international partners and civil society
  • Institutionalised public monitoring mechanisms for reform implementation
  • Free access to information on the Ukraine Plan indicator and milestone fulfilment
  • Opportunities for civil society organisations to help adjust priorities and reform targets during Ukraine Plan implementation

Strengthening these mechanisms can significantly boost Ukraine Facility transparency and accountability, improve the use of international assistance resources and foster broader public support for reforms essential to Ukraine’s recovery and European integration.

VISION FOR THE NEW SUPPORT MODEL FOR UKRAINE AFTER 2027

The Government of Ukraine and international partners have begun preparing a long-term framework for support, recovery and European integration after the Ukraine Facility expires in 2027. Public discussions are underway on Ukraine’s future financial needs, continued reforms and the post-2027 international support architecture.

This is precisely when all stakeholder views on the future support model must be considered, with civil society involvement that goes beyond mere formality.

Some UNP members believe that several Ukraine Facility elements should be retained as they deliver significant and practical results. This includes the ‘money-for-reforms’ principle and linking support to EU integration commitments, staged financing, and clear indicators.

At the same time, further shaping of Ukraine’s recovery and European integration policy requires important changes. This primarily means ensuring greater flexibility in reform planning and implementation, better addressing regional and community needs, and striking a better balance between decision-making speed and process inclusivity. Equally important is strengthening the social and environmental dimensions of recovery, including sustainable development, climate resilience and just transition principles. The future support framework must also be better adapted to wartime conditions, ongoing security challenges and Ukraine’s post-war recovery needs.

After 2027, international support for Ukraine should gradually evolve from primarily a macro-financial stabilisation and war-response tool to a long-term framework for integrating Ukraine into EU policies, mechanisms and financial instruments. This framework should focus not only on infrastructure reconstruction and economic resilience, but also on systemic country transformation in line with EU membership requirements, including stronger institutional capacity, EU acquis implementation, multi-level governance development and Ukraine’s gradual integration into EU sectoral policies and funds.

UNP vision on main directions and key priorities for the future support model

Under the new international support model, civil society should be viewed not merely as a beneficiary of grant programmes but as a full partner in shaping and implementing recovery and European integration policy. Civil society organisations can play a crucial role in setting reform and recovery priorities, independently monitoring commitments, assessing policy and investment impact, communicating reforms to the public, engaging communities in decision-making, and strengthening social cohesion during war and post-war recovery. CSOs play a particularly important role in ensuring transparency, accountability and trust in reconstruction processes and international assistance use.

The new support framework should therefore provide for permanent consultation platforms between the state, international partners and civil society, along with systematic CSO inclusion in programme and reform monitoring and evaluation. Key elements should include mandatory consultations on strategic document changes, support for independent analysis and expert communities, and long-term, predictable civil society funding as a cornerstone of democratic resilience and successful European integration.

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

The Ukraine Facility has set an important precedent for a new international support model that links financing to reform implementation, accountability and alignment with EU policies.

The first implementation phase has shown the need for a more inclusive and transparent approach to setting and delivering priorities, particularly through broader engagement of local self-government bodies, regional actors and civil society.

The next support phase should evolve from primarily a macro-financial stabilisation mechanism to a long-term framework for integrating Ukraine into EU policies and financial instruments. This model should combine the goals of country recovery, democratic transformation, social and territorial cohesion, and preparation for future EU membership. Civil society should therefore be seen not merely as a programme beneficiary but as a systemic partner in setting priorities, monitoring reform delivery, assessing impact, and communicating changes at national and local levels.

On this basis, the Ukrainian National Platform of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum offers the following recommendations.

Recommendations on the future support model for Ukraine:

  • Combine recovery, structural reform, democratic transformation and EU membership preparation in the future support model.
  • Retain the principles of effectiveness, accountability and reform focus while ensuring greater inclusivity, transparency and stakeholder participation.
  • Strengthen the social, regional and environmental components of support, with particular focus on human capital, territorial cohesion and sustainable development.
  • Shift from a predominantly centralised approach to multi-level governance with broader community, regional and civil society involvement.
  • Establish sustainable independent monitoring and impact assessment mechanisms for reforms, support programmes and recovery processes.
  • Improve coordination between international financial instruments, support programmes and national strategic documents.

Recommendations to the Government of Ukraine:

  • Ensure systematic, early and meaningful civil society involvement in shaping, implementing and monitoring future Ukraine support programmes and strategic documents that will set reform, recovery and European integration priorities.
  • Institutionalise CSO participation in decision-making, consultation and monitoring, including through permanent interaction platforms between state bodies, local self-government bodies and civil society.
  • Enhance transparency and accountability of international support implementation through regular publication of objectives, indicators, results and financial resource use.
  • Ensure broader regional and local actor involvement in setting recovery and development priorities, addressing the needs of different territories and communities.
  • Ensure coherence between recovery policies, sectoral reforms and EU membership preparation by integrating European approaches into strategic planning and state policy.
  • Integrate sustainable development, environmental responsibility, social cohesion and inclusivity principles into all future support and recovery mechanisms.
  • Create more accessible, transparent and flexible funding mechanisms for civil society organisations, especially regional and local ones that work directly with communities.

Recommendations for EU institutions and international partners

  • Provide a long-term, predictable and strategically coherent support model for Ukraine after 2027, focused not only on recovery but also on EU membership preparation and European policy integration.
  • Maintain the reform-support, accountability and results-based approach while allowing greater flexibility and adaptability to wartime and post-war recovery conditions.
  • Include dedicated civil society support mechanisms covering institutional support, capacity development and funding for independent reform and policy monitoring.
  • Strengthen transparency, civil society participation and multi-level governance requirements in future Ukraine support instruments.
  • Promote more active regional and local actor engagement in support and recovery programmes, addressing the needs of communities and territories hardest hit by the war.
  • Support Ukraine’s integration into EU policies, programmes and financial instruments in regional development, green transformation, social policy, infrastructure and human capital development.

Recommendations for CSOs

  • Strengthen coordination and cooperation among civil society organisations at national, sectoral and regional levels to build common positions on reform, recovery and European integration.
  • Build expertise in reform monitoring, policy analysis, impact assessment and European policies to participate more effectively in future Ukraine support mechanisms.
  • Engage local communities and citizens more actively in discussions on recovery and reform priorities, building public support for European integration and democratic transformation.
  • Strengthen civil society’s role as an independent communicator of reforms and European integration, particularly by explaining what changes mean for citizens and communities.
  • Develop partnerships with government bodies, local self-government bodies, think tanks and European partners for joint policy development and monitoring.
  • Pay greater attention to social cohesion, human rights, inclusivity and support for vulnerable groups in the country’s recovery and transformation.
  • Promote the integration of green recovery, sustainable development and climate policy principles into future support programmes and Ukraine’s reconstruction.

Eastern Partnership Context

  • Use the future Ukraine support model as an opportunity to develop new EU engagement approaches with candidate countries and Eastern Partnership states, based on multi-level governance, civil society participation and a focus on long-term resilience and transformation.
  • When shaping the new Ukraine support model, consider the broader Eastern Partnership regional context and the importance of democratic resilience, security and European integration for the entire region.

With ongoing discussions on changes to the current Ukraine Plan and Ukraine Facility implementation mechanisms, it is appropriate to offer recommendations not only for the post-2027 support model but also for improving the current instrument:

  • Strengthen local self-government and civil society participation in preparing Ukraine Plan changes, including through systematic and timely public consultations.
  • Introduce more transparent and accessible Ukraine Plan implementation monitoring, especially for Components II and III.
  • Better address regional and local needs in the Ukraine Facility implementation and ensure proper delivery of the Ukraine Facility provisions on environmental and climate funding.
  • Communicate the objectives, content and results of the Ukraine Facility and Ukraine Plan to the public more systematically, including through enhanced public information and awareness campaigns.
  • Support institutional capacity development of state bodies, local self-government bodies and civil society for effective reform implementation and use of EU support instruments.
  • Strengthen coordination between the Ukraine Facility, European integration and other international support instruments to avoid duplication, fragmentation and reform management overload.
  • Include in the Ukraine Plan the measures needed for EU integration reforms and align them with measures in the National Plan for Adaptation of Ukrainian Legislation to EU Legislation.

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The draft UNP Position was presented and discussed with the participants of the Annual Conference on November 11, 2025. After discussions and additions by the participants of the UNP Conference, the position document was submitted for discussion and a vote of support by the UNP members.

We thank the Nataliya Andrusevych, Iryna Kuropas and members of the UNP Steering Committee for preparing the draft position document.

We thank the UNP members for the discussion, providing additions and recommendations.

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. 

This publication was produced 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 the financial support of the European Union. Its contents do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union or the Institute for Economic Research and Policy Consulting.