Ukraine and SIGMA

Status: EU candidate 
Capital City: Kyiv
Population: Around 45 million
Currency: Hryvnya (UAH)

Ukraine signed an Association Agreement, that includes the provisions for a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area, with the EU in June 2014. As of 1 September 2017, the Association Agreement was fully implemented, after being ratified by European parliaments and the Council.

On 28 February 2022, five days after Russia launched its full-scale, unprovoked and unjustified aggression, Ukraine presented its application for membership of the European Union. On 7 March 2022 the Council of the European Union requested that the Commission submit its Opinion on this application. EU Heads of State and Government endorsed this decision at the informal leaders meeting in Versailles, France. On 17 June 2022, the European Commission published its Opinion on Ukraine’s application for membership of the European Union in which it recommended to the Council that Ukraine be granted candidate status. During the EU Summit on 23 June 2022, the Council agreed with this suggestion and granted Ukraine EU candidate status. More information on the European Union’s solidarity with Ukraine can be found here: EU solidarity with Ukraine | European Commission

The OECD Council, comprising the Organisation's 38 member countries, condemned Russia's large-scale aggression against Ukraine as a clear violation of international law and a serious threat to the rules-based international order in its two statements on 24-25 February 2022. Since then, the participation of Russia and Belarus in OECD bodies has been suspended, while the Organisation is working on new measures to strengthen support for the democratically-elected government of Ukraine, including for recovery and reconstruction. You can read more on OECD support to Ukraine here: OECD | War in Ukraine | Tackling the policy challenges

SIGMA, the EC and the Ukrainian authorities agreed a work programme in December 2022 that gave priority to co-operating with:

• The Secretariat of the Cabinet of Ministers and other key stakeholders on reviewing and updating the public administration reform agenda, if required, and improving policy-making procedures within the Government.

• The Secretariat of the Cabinet of Ministers and the National Agency of Ukraine on Civil Service on supporting implementation of the civil service reform, in particular on the remuneration system; providing advice on the draft law on public service in local self-government bodies; and the institutional set-up of the central Government.

• The Ministry of Justice and other partners during the implementation process of the Law on administrative procedure.

• The Ministry of Finance on selected activities for implementation of the Public Financial Management (PFM) Strategy.

• The State Audit Service on further institutional clarification of internal control, financial inspection and audit functions.

• The Ministry of Economy on improving public procurement legislation and developing the new public procurement reform strategy.

• The Secretariat of the Cabinet of Ministers and relevant bodies in carrying out SIGMA Monitoring assessment of Ukraine’s public administration against the SIGMA Principles of Public Administration.

Since Russia launched its unprovoked and unjustified aggression of Ukraine, SIGMA has continued supporting its beneficiaries by providing advice on various topics for which it has been requested. SIGMA is participating in working groups developing inputs for Ukraine’s Recovery Plan.

Publications

Related links

Events

Country co-ordination

Baseline Measurement Report 2018 (English)

Baseline Measurement Report 2018 (Ukrainian)

The Principles of Public Administration for European Neighbourhood Policy countries

Publications in Ukrainian

More publications

EU relations with Ukraine

EU Delegation to Ukraine

Programme Administration Office

News on Ukraine

EU Neighbours East

More countries 

Events calendar

Martins Krievins
Country manager and regional manager ENP East
martins.krievins@oecd.org

Tel: +33 1 45 24 75 29

Maria Dolzhenko

Project Co-ordinator
maria.dolzhenko@oecd.org
Tel: +33 1 45 24 13 01