A press conference was held in partnership with the press center of the Interfax-Ukraine news agency to present the analytical report “Public Participation in the Implementation of the Ukraine Facility and the Ukraine Plan at the Local Level.” The report was prepared by East Europe Foundation within the framework of the “Phoenix: Power of Communities” project, with financial support from the European Union.

The report explains how the Ukraine Facility and the Ukraine Plan work for civil society organizations, highlighting the opportunities these instruments offer for participation and outlining how civil society organizations (CSOs) can contribute to implementing reforms at the local level.

Asier Santillán, Head of the “European Integration, Governance and Rule of Law, Civil Society” Section at the EU Delegation to Ukraine, stressed that no country has ever joined the European Union without a strong, active, and independent civil society — a partner of the state and, at the same time, a guarantor of democracy. That is why such strong emphasis is placed on supporting communities.

“The EU has supported Ukrainian civil society with nearly €200 million since February 2022, but we do not see civil society organisations only as recipients of funding. They are partners in Ukraine’s reforms and in its path to EU membership. An instrument of the scale of the Ukraine Facility can only work if it is understood and used well beyond central government, and that is why supporting this type of analytical  reporting is important,” said Asier Santillán.

Vira Nedzvedska, Vice President of East Europe Foundation, explained that the report was preceded by a survey of CSOs conducted by the Foundation in April 2025. The survey found that only 15% of the organizations surveyed consider themselves well informed about how the Ukraine Facility works, while 70% reported a lack of knowledge about opportunities for participation.

In addition, over the past year and this year, East Europe Foundation held expert consultations involving CSOs, associations of local self-government bodies, and international partners. These consultations revealed a “two-speed” situation: large national organizations are already integrated into European integration processes, while small and regional organizations are often left aside — not because they lack the willingness to participate, but because of limited access to information, complex procedures, and even a language barrier.

“The purpose of the document we have developed is to address these needs identified through our research, particularly among organizations based in the regions. It was important for us to bring all the relevant information together in one place and translate complex regulatory language into a clear, practical framework for communities, local self-government bodies, experts, and everyone who wants to be a participant, rather than merely an observer, in the European integration process,” emphasized Vira Nedzvedska.

The analytical report is available via the link on East Europe Foundation’s website.