Friday, 22 November 2024 14:07 
🌐 What Projects Does the EU Prioritize for Funding in Ukraine?
During the FIEC-EIC Task Force “Ukraine” meeting held on November 21, 2024, participants discussed the European Commission’s infrastructure priorities and summarized the outcomes of last week’s meetings in Warsaw, Poland, which brought together the European construction industry for Ukraine’s future reconstruction.
🚆Jan Steinkohl, Advisor on TEN-T North Sea Baltic Baltic Corridor (European Commission), presented the Commission’s TEN-T priorities in Ukraine's infrastructure sector. He highlighted that following the blockade of Ukrainian ports in 2022, logistics shifted entirely to land routes. Consequently, solutions were needed to ensure infrastructure could handle such volumes, which became a focus for the TEN-T Commission.
TEN-T is a transport network and the primary tool for infrastructure planning in the EU through 2050. Transportation is currently a critical component of all assistance to Ukraine and its interaction with the EU, playing a particularly vital role in the context of European integration.
One of the key unresolved issues is the alignment of European standards in Ukraine, such as the adjustment of railway gauge widths, which are broader than the European standard. Strategies for implementing such projects are already in place.
🌐Martine Diss, Representative of the European Commission – DG GROW, shared the outcomes of the EU-Ukraine Investment Conference held on November 13-14, 2024, in Warsaw, its developments, and materials.
She confirmed significant support for Ukraine on its path to the EU, emphasizing specific initiatives and progress in cooperation. Thus, the European Commission supports EU companies willing to export to Ukraine, particularly by reducing risks and expanding the free trade area. At the same time, Ukrainian companies are being prepared to enter the EU market: technical barriers are being studied to facilitate the supply of goods, including construction materials.
Work is also ongoing on translating standards for various industries, expected to be available in the first half of 2025. The European Commission has a clear, comprehensive vision of what the future construction industry should look like: digital, green, and sustainable. Transition pathways should include skills improvement, innovation implementation, and safety enhancement.
💻Martine Diss also addressed the topic of the digital passport for construction products, which will include information on the product's life cycle and its compliance with European standards. A separate issue is the management of hazardous waste (e.g., asbestos), for which there are corresponding solutions in the EU.
One of the main challenges for business in Ukraine remains the labor shortage and the stability of electricity supply. However, Martine Diss emphasized that now is the best time to invest in Ukraine, as competition among investors will only grow after the war ends.
👤Kjetil Tonning, Chair of the FIEC-EIC Task Force “Ukraine” and Honorary President of FIEC, shared insights on the Recovery Construction Forum 3.0 held in Warsaw, highlighting key topics and interesting takeaways.
“The forum began with discussions on Ukraine’s resilience. The next panel explored the needs for green and sustainable reconstruction, - Kjetil Tonning noted, - We discussed the importance of transparency, procurement reforms, and other key topics.” According to Mr. Tonning, the discussions also focused on reconstruction needs (including costs), prospects for industrial parks, potential raw material supplies to the EU, and fostering investments. The final panel addressed recycling, the use of raw materials in infrastructure projects, sustainable development initiatives, and green technologies.
👉 For more detailed information about the Recovery Construction Forum 3.0, visit the link:
👤Oleksandr Chervak, CEO of the CBU, expressed gratitude to FIEC for their ongoing support and active participation in organizing the Recovery Construction Forum 3.0. He also emphasized the critical importance of foreign private investments in Ukraine: “We are actively working on attracting European business investments to Ukraine. We want to understand what hinders them, what concerns they have, and what we can improve.” Mr. Chervak reminded attendees that to address these questions, the CBU, together with the Business Ombudsman Council of Ukraine, launched a survey for European businesses.
The survey is completely anonymous.
👉You can participate in the survey via the link:
https://forms.gle/EC2KryDYPGGDhACR8
🌐The participants of the meeting also discussed upcoming plans and events. Notably, the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2025 was presented, which will be held this year in Rome, Italy, on July 10-11.
WE WILL WIN AND REBUILD EVERYTHING! 💪
TOGETHER TO VICTORY!
GLORY TO UKRAINE! 💙💛