EU4PFM Procurement Component: achievements in 2024 and future priorities

The year 2024 was a pivotal one for the EU4PFM Procurement Component, marked by intensified efforts due to the start of Ukraine’s EU accession negotiations.

The overarching goal remained unchanged: to enhance Ukraine’s public procurement system, ensuring its efficiency and adherence to transparency, value for money, sustainability, and competitiveness principles. Significant strides were made in aligning Ukraine’s procurement framework with the EU directives, enhancing professionalisation of procurement specialists, and strengthening oversight mechanisms. Let’s explore the key developments in each area.

Legislative alignment and EU accession process

Throughout 2024, the EU4PFM Procurement Component Team worked extensively to harmonise Ukraine’s public procurement system with the EU legislation. The team provided essential support to the Ministry of Economy, Ukraine’s central public procurement policy institution, in assisting in drafting and revision of the laws on Public Procurement, Public-Private Partnerships, and Concessions. These efforts also facilitated the European Commission’s assessment process.

Additionally, the Project contributed to discussions in the Verkhovna Rada Economic Development Committee, offering expertise on the EU acquis. It also provided crucial policy advice and consultations to Partner Institutions, assisting them in preparing for explanatory meetings within the EU Screening process.

Professionalisation of procurement specialists

Enhancing the capacity of procurement professionals was also a cornerstone of the Project’s activities in 2024. Recognising the importance of professionalisation in public procurement reforms, the EU4PFM Procurement Component team, in collaboration with the Ministry of Economy, conducted five training sessions across Ukraine from June to December. These sessions targeted key stakeholders, including:

• Heads and staff of Contracting Authorities (CAs)
• Regional procurement bodies
• Public procurement officers and authorised persons
• Business representatives and NGO activists
• Judges handling procurement-related cases

Key topics covered included:

• The necessity for a new Law on Public Procurement and EU recommendations
• Improvements in procurement practices and Prozorro system updates
• Procurement strategies during wartime and long-term development plans
• Professionalisation and its role in procurement reform
• Performance measurement using KPI management tools
• Dispute resolution mechanisms and court practices

These training sessions not only strengthened the knowledge base of procurement professionals but also generated insights that formed regulatory recommendations and future training programmes. 

A key milestone was the completion of a comprehensive Training Needs Assessment, which identified three major areas for further education: centralized purchasing, market research, and challenges in procurement planning.

Project experts also contributed to professionalisation efforts by developing preparatory materials for an online course on “Public Procurement Management,” mapping training institutions in the procurement domain, and organising a roundtable discussion with higher education institutions.

Enhancement of oversight and control in Public Procurement

Strengthening oversight and control mechanisms of public procurement procedures was also in our priority agenda. The Project supported oversight bodies through targeted initiatives, including a study visit to Riga, Latvia, specialised workshops, and the development of online courses for judges. Thus, the Project Team facilitated the exchange of best EU practices to enhance compliance, audit, and complaint resolution processes.

Strengthening international cooperation

To strengthen Ukraine’s position in international procurement markets, the Procurement Component team actively supported the Ministry of Economy in representing Ukraine as a Party to the WTO Government Procurement Agreement (GPA). 

Moreover, the Project experts elaborated the questionnaire for Ukrainian SMEs on problems and prospects of participation in EU tenders (and vice versa) as well as series of country-specific procurement guidelines covering Austria, Belgium, Ireland, Poland, the Czech Republic, the United Kingdom, Finland, Denmark, Portugal, Spain, France, Sweden, Switzerland, and Norway. These materials aim to support Ukrainian businesses in accessing procurement markets across the EU and beyond.

Priorities for 2025

Building on the achievements of 2024, the EU4PFM Procurement Component will continue to drive procurement reforms in Ukraine, focusing on:

• Further aligning Procurement, Public-Private Partnerships and Concessions legislation with the EU acquis.
• Strengthening capacity-building efforts for Partner Institutions.
• Enhancing monitoring, control, and oversight mechanisms in procurement.
• Continuing to support the professionalisation of procurement specialists.

Despite the challenges posed by wartime conditions, the EU4PFM Procurement Team remains dedicated to supporting Ukraine’s procurement reforms. Through expert advice and technical assistance, the Project will continue to contribute to establishing a robust and resilient procurement system in Ukraine, paving the way for its successful integration into the EU procurement framework.

By Eriks Mezalis, Team Leader of the EU4PFM Procurement Component