Transforming emergency aid into equal cooperation between EU and Ukrainian towns, cities and regions
Amid war-time disruption, Ukraine’s local governments have stepped as frontline problemsolvers and drivers of EU integration. During the European Week of Regions and Cities in Brussels, on October 15th a CEMR-led conversation under the Bridges of Trust (BoT) brought together local leaders, policy experts, and civil society to examine how municipal partnerships can anchor accession and cohesion.
The takeaway was clear: lasting progress depends on shifting from emergency solidarity to structured cooperation that empowers municipalities to deliver reforms, attract investment, and close regional gaps.
Why local governments matter
Ukraine’s municipalities have kept essential services running, coordinated aid, and advanced reforms under extreme pressure. Through BoT and the European Partnership Hub, they are building ties with European peers on projects in education, culture, economic development, and reconstruction. As CEMR’s Director for Projects and Programmes, Durmish Guri explained, success now hinges on moving “from emergency solidarity to mutually beneficial collaboration”.
Matchmaking for impact
To turn policy into practice, BoT has launched a Matchmaking Platform that connects every Ukrainian municipality with a European counterpart, enabling concrete joint projects and capacity-building. The platform is designed to reduce fragmentation, align needs with resources, and accelerate cooperation across borders.
From reform to implementation
Dmytro Lyvch of Easy Business underscored a dual challenge: advancing structural reforms while financing recovery. Real progress happens locally through municipalities, civil society, and development agencies. Ukraine has adapted to EU Chapter 22 requirements, but gaps persist in horizontal and vertical cohesion, and in institutional and financial frameworks. With regional disparities higher than in many Central and Eastern European countries, targeted interventions are needed to build resilience and competitiveness.
Lessons from peers
Ambre Maucorps of the Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies highlighted takeaways from Lithuania and North Macedonia. Lithuania used cohesion policy to tackle disparities with a clear governance model and strong stakeholder input. North Macedonia, after municipal mergers similar to Ukraine’s, benefited from pre-accession funds but still struggles with absorption. The throughline: coordination and flexibility are essential for effective cohesion policy.
Building capacity, scaling partnerships
Iryna Mykulych of the NGO Agency for Recovery and Development stressed that durable cooperation often starts with “soft” cultural and educational exchanges that build trust, then evolves into “hard” reconstruction projects. Scaling from municipal partnerships to business and academia can unlock investment, know-how, and long-term outcomes.
The bottom line
The event’s conclusion was unambiguous: international municipal cooperation is one of the most effective and sustainable ways to localise EU accession.
As Durmish Guri noted, “international municipal cooperation is the most effective, sustainable, and the efficient form of collaboration”. Local governments, he added, play a critical role not only in implementing reforms but also in shaping national and European-level policy, underlining the importance of “localizing accession” to ensure Ukraine’s municipalities are fully engaged in the EU integration process.
Empowering local governments to deliver reforms and shape policy—together with European partners—moves Ukraine from a recipient of solidarity to a co-creator of Europe’s cohesion and growth. That is the promise of BoT’s community-driven approach.
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