How Communities Can Access EU Support: Course on Ukraine Facility

The East Europe Foundation, with financial support from the EU, has launched a new free course “Ukraine Facility: From Opportunity to Action.” The course is available on the Зрозуміло! online educational platform and will help users understand how the Ukraine Facility instrument works and what opportunities it opens up for communities, local self-government bodies, and civil society organisations.

“Ukraine Facility is a kind of ‘roadmap’ for Ukrainian reforms. These reforms are needed to ensure the economy functions stably, and that Ukraine’s reconstruction and modernisation take place transparently and contribute to improving living standards in the country. In addition, these reforms bring Ukrainian legislation closer to EU standards,” says the course presenter, journalist Tetiana Troshchynska.

The course consists of 10 short lectures covering:

• how Ukraine Facility functions and what role it plays in Ukraine’s EU accession process;
• what the Ukraine Plan is, how it relates to reform financing, and who makes decisions on the use of funds;
• what role state bodies, local self-government bodies, and civil society organisations play in implementing Ukraine Facility — and how communities can access grants, investment, and expert support;
• how monitoring, accountability, and public oversight of fund utilisation are carried out;
• what practical cases are already being implemented in Ukraine with the support of European partners.

“Our surveys show that civil society organisations want to engage in European integration processes but do not always understand where to start or how to participate. We created this course specifically to show concrete steps and areas in which one can work. The topic is particularly timely: in June, the EU opened the first negotiating cluster, and Ukraine’s accession process is gaining momentum right now. Ukraine Facility is one of the instruments through which European integration happens in practice, so understanding its mechanisms is a practical necessity for civil society organisations and local self-government bodies,” said Vira Nedzvedska, Vice President for Strategic Partnerships at the East Europe Foundation.

The course can be accessed and completed via the link. Successful completion allows participants to receive a certificate worth 0.2 ECTS credits, or six academic hours, which counts towards self-directed learning.

The course was developed as part of the “Phoenix: Power of Communities” project, implemented by the East Europe Foundation with the support of the European Union.