The irreversible course of Ukraine’s accession to the European Union is vividly demonstrated every
day in the media by the unwavering support of our country by international partners and organisations,
as well as by the top officials of foreign states. The key task is to adapt the acquis communautaire into the
national legislation of Ukraine. All reforms are taking place in parallel with the Ukrainian government’s
accession negotiations, starting with the ratification of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement in 2014.
An integral attribute of EU accession is the implementation of decentralisation reforms, including the
development of cross-border cooperation of territorial communities. This is an important tool for the
development of regions, cities and territorial communities, especially those bordering on neighbouring
countries or having partnerships with territorial partners in other countries.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the EU countries have virtually unanimously
expressed political support for our country. The EU candidate status granted to Ukraine allows us to
create the best conditions for the development of cross-border cooperation. Regardless of the duration of
Ukraine’s accession process, the prospect of Ukraine’s membership in the EU has become a political
reality and will sooner or later mean its integration into the EU single market and the Schengen area.
Cross-border cooperation of subnational actors should be seen as a tool for territorial development of
regions and communities, which ultimately benefits the whole country and should be in the public interest.
State support for the development of cross-border cooperation at the regional and local levelshould
be understood as a necessary investment that brings mutual benefits to all its partners. They will be able
to use the opportunities offered by EU programmes for cross-border cooperation through various funding
projects. In addition, such cooperation is of public interest to every European country. The state is obliged
to be interested in this and provide opportunities to develop such cooperation. Therefore, in June 2024,
the Law of Ukraine ‘On International Territorial Cooperation of Ukraine’ was recently adopted, which
addresses a number of shortcomings and problems of local government functioning within the framework
of international cooperation between territorial communities and regions of foreign countries.
1. Derzhavna Prohrama rozvytku transkordonnoho spivrobitnytstva na 2021-2027 roky. [ State Program for the Development of Cross-Border Cooperation for 2021-2027]. Postanova Kabinetu Ministriv Ukrainy vid 14 kvitnia 2021 roku No. 408. URL: https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/408-2021 %D0%BF#Text [In Ukrainian].
2. Zakon Ukrainy “Pro mizhnarodne terytorialne spivrobitnytstvo Ukrainy” vid 27.06.2024 roku No. 3668- IX. [Law of Ukraine "On International Territorial Cooperation of Ukraine"] dated June 27, 2024 No. 3668-IX. Vidomosti Verkhovnoi Rady Ukrainy. URL:https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/3668-20#Text [In Ukrainian].
3. Initsiatyva Cities4Cities | United4Ukraine. [Initiative of Cities | United Ukraine] URL:https://cities4cities.eu/pro-nas/ [In Ukrainian].
4. Iryna Tymechko (2019) Terytorialna hromada u transkordonnomu prostori: chynnyky, zakonomirnosti, priorytety rozvytku [Territorial community in the cross-border space: factors, regularities, development priorities] : monohrafiia. Lviv: DU “Instytut rehionalnykh doslidzhen imeni M.I. Dolishnoho NAN Ukrainy”. 444 s. [In Ukrainian].
5. Zakon Ukrainy “Pro ratyfikatsiiu Uhody pro finasuvannia Prohrama Interreg (Interreg VI-B) NEXT “Basein Chornoho moria” vid 9 travnia 2024 roku. No. 3715-IX. [Law of Ukraine "On the Ratification of the Agreement on Financing the Interreg (Interreg VI-B) NEXT “Black Sea Basin”] Program of May 9, 2024. No. 3715- IX. Vidomosti Verkhovnoi Rady Ukrainy. URL:https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/3715-20#Text. [In Ukrainian].
6. Zakon Ukrainy “Pro ratyfikatsiiu Uhody pro finansuvannia prohramy (Interreg VI-A) NEXT “Rumuniia- Ukraina” vid 9 travnia 2024 roku No.3716-IX. [The Law of Ukraine “On Ratification of the Agreement on Financing the Program (Interreg VI-A) NEXT “Romania-Ukraine”]. Vidomosti Verkhovnoi Rady Ukrainy. URL:https://itd.rada.gov.ua/billInfo/Bills/Card/44100 [In Ukrainian].
7. Zakon Ukrainy “Pro ratyfikatsiiu Uhody pro finansuvannia prohramy (Interreg VI-A) NEXT Uhorshchy- na – Slovachchyna – Rumuniia – Ukraina” vid 9 travnia 2024 roku.No.3717-IX. [ Law of Ukraine “On ratification of the Agreement on financing the program (Interreg VI-A) NEXT Hungary – Slovakia – Romania – Ukraine"]. Vidomosti Verkhovnoi Rady Ukrainy. URL:https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/3717-20#Text [In Ukrainian].
8. Novi mozhlyvosti transkordonnoho ta rehionalnoho spivrobitnytstva: Uriad pidtrymav ratyfikatsiiu uhod pro finansuvannia nyzky prohram YES [New opportunities for cross-border and regional cooperation: The Government supported the ratification of agreements on financing a number of EU programs]. Yedynyyi veb-porta orhaniv vykonavchoi vlady Ukrainy. URL:https://www.kmu.gov.ua/news/novi-mozhlyvosti-transkordonnoho-ta- rehionalnoho-spivrobitnytstva-uriad-pidtrymav-ratyfikatsiiu-uhod-pro-finansuvannia-nyzky-prohram-ies [In Ukrainian].