The first Steering Committee meeting of #EU4Reconstruction (EU4R) took place on 5 February at the House of Decentralisation in Kyiv, bringing together Ukrainian authorities, the European Union and EU Member States to steer joint efforts in Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction.
The meeting was chaired by Alona Shkrum, First Deputy Minister for Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine, and Ivan Lukerya, Deputy Head of the State Agency for Restoration and Infrastructure Development of Ukraine, and co-chaired by the EU Delegation to Ukraine, represented by Jocelin Cornet, Head of Section for Reconstruction, Energy, Infrastructure and Environment.
Ivan Lukeria, Deputy Head of the Agency for Restoration, thanked representatives of the Ukrainian authorities, the European Union, and EU Member States for coordinating joint efforts to advance Ukraine’s recovery, as well as for their contribution to building capable and accountable institutions that underpin successful national recovery. With the backing of the European Commission and the EU4Reconstruction programme, advisory groups have been established to support the Agency’s strategic transformation, priority-setting, and capacity development.
With the support of EU4Reconstruction Stream 2 has already launched a number of activities aimed at strengthening the institutional capacity of the Agency and its ecosystem, in particular its ability to:
• plan strategically and engage with all elements of its ecosystem, including the Restoration Offices, the National Institute for Development Infrastructure, the Centralized Procurement Organization, and other state-owned enterprises under the Agency’s management;
• carry out centralized and efficient procurement for the implementation of large-scale infrastructure projects;
• act proactively and embed modern solutions for the restoration and development of Ukraine’s infrastructure, drawing on the professional expertise of the International Advisory Board.
Reaffirming the European Union’s position, Jocelin Cornet emphasized the EU’s continued commitment to coordinated support for Ukraine’s reconstruction in line with EU accession and standards.
During the meeting, the leaders of Stream 1 (Christian Weltzien, Mariana Semenyshyn, Archil Zhorzholiani) and Stream 2 (Taras Sluchyk and Jekaterina Šarmavičienė) presented key achievements from the first six months and outlined the activities planned for the near future.
The Steering Committee also reviewed and discussed the main working areas for the next six months of implementation, outlining the way forward for the Action.
EU4Reconstruction is a Team Europe initiative supporting Ukraine’s reconstruction by strengthening coordination, aligning efforts with EU policies and standards, and fostering close cooperation between international partners and Ukrainian institutions.