On 9 December 2025, East Europe Foundation held an event titled “Implementing the Ukraine Facility Mechanism at Regional and Local Levels in the Context of Public Participation.” Participants — representatives of government agencies, international and donor organisations, civil society, local government associations, and technical assistance projects — gathered to discuss challenges and opportunities, as well as to jointly develop practical steps that will help implement the Ukraine Facility Mechanism at the local level.

The event was organised within the project “Phoenix: The Power of Communities,” implemented by East Europe Foundation with the support of the European Union. The project aims to strengthen civil society organisations so they can both support the recovery of communities affected by the war and actively participate in Ukraine’s European integration process.

“European integration should not remain a declarative slogan — we must ensure technical alignment with EU standards and build a Ukraine where the principles of democracy, rule of law, and respect for human dignity become everyday reality,” said Vira Nedzvedska, Vice President for Strategic Partnerships at East Europe Foundation.

An active, conscious, and responsible civil society, as well as local self-government bodies that work closely with communities and understand the local context, play a crucial role in this transformation. They see problems from within, understand dynamics on the ground, and therefore can propose solutions that truly work — practical, realistic, and rooted in lived community experience.

“We value that civil society representatives are professionally engaged in the EU integration process and bring their expertise to the regions. Civil society development is a shared value for both the EU and Ukraine, and it is part of the EU Strategy for Civil Society. It is important for us that civil society organisations in Ukraine can operate free of pressure, and we are ready to support them in their work. In particular, the Ukraine Facility mechanism provides €50 billion in funding for Ukraine, and within this mechanism we can also finance civil society organisations,” said Natalia Starostenko, Sector Manager for Regional and Local Development at the EU Delegation to Ukraine.

The Ukraine Facility Mechanism uses a multi-level approach and recognises decentralisation reform as critical for the country’s development. One of the programme’s key objectives is to support decentralisation and strengthen community development at the local level.

“The negotiation process on Ukraine’s accession to the European Union includes Chapter 22, which concerns regional policy and the management of EU structural funds. This is one of the most complex chapters, as it requires aligning sectoral strategies with the objectives and priorities of state regional policy, including the State Strategy for Regional Development, as well as integrating the regional dimension into all key strategic documents. In this context, the Ukraine Facility mechanism plays an important role, as it can serve as a kind of ‘training ground’ that will allow Ukraine to practise effective approaches to using structural funds at regional and subregional levels,” said Vitalii Protsenko, Head of the Department of Regional Policy and Reintegration of Territories at the Ministry for Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine.

During the event, representatives of the EU Delegation, experts from the U-LEAD programme, and East Europe Foundation informed participants about the key features and opportunities of the Ukraine Facility Mechanism and its implementation at the regional level. They also shared experiences of public engagement in the EU accession processes of Slovenia, Croatia, and Ireland.

A key part of the event was practical work in mini-groups. Different groups — civil society representatives, local authorities, and experts — analysed barriers and challenges that may arise during the implementation of the Ukraine Facility Mechanism at the local level, presented the results of their group discussions, and explored possible steps to overcome these challenges.

All the findings will be included in the White Paper “Public Participation in the Implementation of the Ukraine Facility Instrument and the ‘Ukraine Plan’ at the Local Level,” which is being developed by East Europe Foundation. This document is expected to serve as a basis for shaping future policies and decisions in the field of European integration.