How do European countries plan their regional development, and what approaches can be useful for Ukraine?

On 10 June, an analytical review “Experience of Regional Development Planning in European Countries”, written by Myroslav Kosheliuk, the Swiss-Ukrainian DECIDE Project expert, was presented in Kyiv.

The event brought together Jean-Luc Bernasconi, Head of International Cooperation at the Embassy of Switzerland to Ukraine; Oleksii Riabykin, Deputy Minister for Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine; Valentyna Poltorak, DECIDE Project Manager; and representatives from the Ministry for Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine, regional military administrations, regional development agencies, international projects, associations of local governments, and the expert community.

Experts who joined the discussion included:

• Vitalii Protsenko, Director of the Department of Regional Policy and Reintegration of Territories;

• Nataliia Hloba, Advisor to the Deputy Minister for Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine;

• Yurii Tretiak, Expert on Decentralisation and Regional Development;

• Ihor Abramiuk, Director for Development – Deputy Executive Director of the All-Ukrainian Association of Communities;

• Yaroslav Zhalilo, Deputy Director of the National Institute for Strategic Studies;

• Oleksandr Solontai, Chair of the Board — Chair of the Steering Committee of the Agency for Recovery and Infrastructure Development;

• Pavlo Ostapenko, DECIDE Project Expert;

• Dmytro Lyvch, Managing Partner of Civitta Ukraine;

• Tetiana Kryshtop, Deputy Director for Research and Spatial Planning at LLC UKRNPICIVILBUD;

• Olena Ivanova, Head of the Office for Community Engagement at the Odesa Regional Development Agency;

• Serhii Sahrshov, representative of the All-Ukrainian Association of Amalgamated Territorial Communities.

The study aims to help Ukraine modernise the legislative framework for regional policy and establish a quality architecture for the new State Strategy for Regional Development. For this purpose, the practices of 13 European countries were analysed: Switzerland, Sweden, Ireland, Spain, Croatia, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, Romania, Poland, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, and Montenegro. Within the scope of the study, about 400 strategic and planning documents at national, regional, and local levels were examined.

‘The experience of Switzerland, where regional policy is focused on creating competitive regions, could be useful for Ukraine. This is particularly true today, when it is important not only to rebuild what has been destroyed, but also to shape sustainable and economically strong regions for the future,’ said Jean-Luc Bernasconi, Head of International Cooperation at the Embassy of Switzerland to Ukraine.

During the presentation, the author of the review, Myroslav Kosheliuk, DECIDE Project Expert, presented the key findings of the study and explained which approaches to regional development used in European countries could be effective for Ukraine.

One of the key findings of the study was that there is no universal model for regional policy. Despite the principles and rules shared by European Union countries, each state develops its own planning system in line with its own needs, challenges, and priorities for development.

For Ukraine, this means that rather than copying individual European practices, it needs to develop its own model of regional policy, based on European approaches whilst taking into account Ukrainian realities and the needs of restoration. Therefore, one of the key messages of the presentation was that Ukrainian regional policy should be European in principle but Ukrainian in nature.

‘The experience of European countries in regional development is not only a valuable analytical resource for Ukraine, but also a practical tool for shaping modern regional policy. This work takes on particular significance in the context of preparations for the negotiations on Chapter 22 of European Union law, which concerns regional policy and the coordination of structural instruments,’ noted Oleksii Riabykin, Deputy Minister for Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine.

At the same time, the study revealed a number of approaches that are shared by most European countries. These include the coherence of planning documents at different levels, a partnership-based approach to strategy development, the development of functional territories, and a clear link between strategic objectives, funding, and outcomes.

The study pays particular attention to topics that are extremely relevant to Ukraine today: the structure of the system of planning documents, the interrelationship between spatial and strategic planning, the development of functional territories, the selection of planning horizons, and preparations for the use of European cohesion policy mechanisms.

‘Today, despite the full-scale war, Ukraine continues moving towards EU accession. Therefore, it is important that the recovery takes into account the specific characteristics and potential of Ukrainian communities and regions. Regional planning should take into account not only the reconstruction of infrastructure, but also the restoration of human capital, the involvement of citizens in decision-making, and the creation of conditions for the long-term development of territories,’ said Valentyna Poltorak, DECIDE Project Manager.

During the event, the participants also discussed potential approaches to improving the system of strategic planning for regional development in Ukraine and preparations for the new European Union programming cycle for 2028–2034.

The DECIDE project is implemented by NGO DOCCU and PHZH International Projects in Education with the support of the Embassy of Switzerland in Ukraine.

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