How will the entire regional development system change after Ukraine joins the EU? As part of the European integration process, Ukraine is transitioning from a fragmented model of participation to a cohesive system based on the principles of cohesion policy. This applies, in particular, to community funding. In this model, the decisive role is played not by individual programs, but by EU structural funds and national mechanisms for their implementation, which fundamentally changes approaches to planning, selecting, and financing community development projects.
How does the EU’s cohesion policy work? How will the model for financing regional development change after Ukraine joins the EU? And how will the State Fund for Regional Development (SFRD) transform?
We will address these questions during the fourth online webinar in the EU Local.Talks series – a series of thematic meetings for communities and local organizations on the requirements and opportunities that Ukraine’s accession to the European Union opens up at the local level.
The webinar “The New Logic of Community Financing: What Will EU Cohesion Policy and SRDF Reform Change?” will take place on May 12 at 3:00 PM on the ZOOM platform. Registration is required via the link: https://forms.gle/oYUDXZbKViryhvAf6
Participants
We invite local community leaders, staff of departments for international/economic development, project managers, and representatives of regional development institutions to participate.
The webinar speaker is Vitaliy Nabok, Senior Policy and Data Analyst at the Institute for Analytics and Advocacy.
Webinar Structure
The webinar will consist of four thematic sections:
Section 1. EU Cohesion Policy as the Foundation of Regional Development
- principles and objectives of cohesion policy;
- differences from the current funding model in Ukraine;
- the role of strategic planning and multiannual programs;
Section 2. EU Funds as a Key Financial Instrument
- an overview of the main funds (ERDF, Cohesion Fund, ESF+);
- the mechanism for allocating funds through national and regional levels;
- types of projects eligible for funding.
Block 3. Transformation of the State Fund for Regional Development (SFRD)
- the new role of the SFRD in the context of European integration;
- alignment with cohesion policy principles;
- changes in project selection approaches;
- significance for communities as the primary channel for accessing resources.
Within each block, speakers will provide practical recommendations for communities on preparing for new funding conditions, strengthening institutional capacity, and developing high-quality projects.
A separate part of the event will feature an interactive session during which participants will have the opportunity to ask questions, discuss their own challenges, and receive answers and recommendations relevant to their practical work.
The main partner of the EU Local.Talks series is the Delegation of the European Union to Ukraine. The partner for this webinar is the Institute for Analytics and Advocacy, a think tank dedicated to the development of civil society, policy and data analysis, and the design and implementation of innovative digital solutions. The think tank’s mission is to create tools and approaches that help make rational decisions.
Previously, with the support of the Foundation, the Institute for Analytics and Advocacy held a practical workshop on opportunities from EU development banks focused at the operational level – that is, on specific opportunities for communities.
The webinar as part of EU LocalTalks logically continues this theme but moves to a different – systemic – level. Its goal is to answer the question: how will the entire regional development system change after Ukraine’s accession to the EU.
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The EU LocalTalks webinar series is organized in cooperation with the European Union as part of the project “Joining the EU Together: Strengthening the Role of Civil Society in Ukraine’s EU Accession,” implemented by the International Renaissance Foundation.
