Third Steering Committee Meeting on Public Procurement highlights progress and future plans of EU4PFM Component 2
On February 6, the third Steering Committee meeting of Component 2 “Public Procurement” under the EU4PFM Programme convened in Kyiv to present the Project’s achievements, outline planned activities, and assess the overall progress of Public Procurement reform in Ukraine.
Eriks Mezalis, Team Leader of the Procurement Component, together with the Project Team, highlighted key achievements over the past six months, including:
- EU Accession process: consultations provided to Partner Institutions regarding EU acquis requirements.
- Legislative analysis: review of the draft Public Procurement and draft Public-Private Partnerships and Concessions legislation in the light of the EU acquis and active participation in the Verkhovna Rada Economic Development Committee’s working group on the further development of the draft Public Procurement legislation.
- International cooperation: support in WTO GPA Committee activities and other international level activities.
- Training needs assessment: completion of a comprehensive evaluation of training needs of public procurement stakeholders.
- Regional engagement: organisation of 5 regional procurement events, gathered feedback shared with the Ministry of Economy.
The event brought together representatives from all Partner Institutions of Procurement Component, including the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine, the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine, the Accounting Chamber of Ukraine, the State Audit Service of Ukraine, the EU Delegation to Ukraine, and the Central Project Management Agency. Participants attended both in-person and online.
Deputy Minister of Economy Nadiya Bigun opened the discussion by expressing gratitude for the Project Team’s efforts and sharing her expectations for the future. The Deputy Minister emphasized the importance of involving Ukraine in the forthcoming EU level procurement and highlighted Ukraine’s potential to contribute its expertise. Additionally, Ms Bigun stressed the need for continued support in adopting the new draft legislation and developing a strategy for Public-Private Partnerships and Concessions.
Henrik Huitfeldt, Head of the Sector for Public Financing, Business Support, and Social Policies at the EU Delegation to Ukraine, acknowledged the intensity of 2024 due to the start of accession negotiations. “Significant work has been done to align Ukraine’s procurement framework with EU Directives. We have assisted in elaboration of the laws on Public Procurement as well as Public-Private Partnerships, and Concessions, provided substantial support in revising these drafts, and facilitated the European Commission’s assessment process. The Project has played a crucial role in expediting this assessment,” Mr Huitfeldt noted.
Over the next 6 months, the Procurement Component will focus on:
- Further aligning procurement and Public-Private Partnerships/Concessions legislation with the EU acquis.
- Providing capacity-building assistance to Partner Institutions.
- Enhancing monitoring, control, and oversight mechanisms in procurement.
- Continuing support for the professionalisation of procurement specialists.
The meeting reaffirmed the European Commission’s strong support for Ukraine’s Public Procurement reforms and concluded with agreements to continue implementing the Work Plan. The next Steering Committee is scheduled for June 2025.
