An agreement between the EU Commission and Ukraine allows the second to benefit from the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) funds. The deal is an important milestone towards post-war Ukrainian restoration, especially concerning transport infrastructure and rail. Simultaneously, it is a step forward for Ukraine’s integration into the EU single market.

The agreement was signed by Transport Commissioner Adina Valean and Deputy Prime Minister for Restoration of Ukraine, and Minister for Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development Oleksandr Kubrakov. In practice, it means that Ukrainian project promoters can directly apply for EU funding when it comes to transport, energy and digitalisation projects, as long as they promote common interest.

Regarding transport specifically, the Commission explained that Ukrainian parties will be able to apply for funding for future calls but within the current programming period (2021-2027). The following funding call is scheduled for the coming September. Another specification from the Commission concerned the nature of projects that could be prioritised. These will mostly be connectivity projects aiming to strengthen transport links between Ukraine and EU member states.

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