​ Well-funded local and regional authorities are key to a sustainable recovery of Ukraine within the European Union, says President Cordeiro.

President Vasco Alves Cordeiro and Patrick Molinoz, chair of the CoR's Commission for Citizenship, Governance, Institutional and External Affairs (CIVEX) on 5 December addressed the Ukrainian Municipal Forum in Kyiv to reaffirm the support of the European Committee of the Regions for Ukrainian local and regional authorities as the country continues its path to recovery and reconstruction in the face of Russia's ongoing war of aggression.

In their remarks, they emphasised the importance of decentralisation and the need for local and regional administrations to be core partners of Ukraine's central authorities, with President Cordeiro saying "it is fundamental that they are fully involved in Ukraine's recovery every step of the way". They also stressed the importance of providing sufficient funding for capacity-building of local authorities .

In a video message, President Cordeiro (PT/PES), a member of the Parliament of the Region of the Azores, told participants at the Forum, titled 'Decentralisation, Transparent Governance and Unity - the Basis for Ukraine's Recovery', that "decentralisation, good local governance, respected, well-funded and independent local and regional authorities are the key to a sustainable recovery of Ukraine within the European Union" .

Mr Molinoz (FR/PES), vice-president of the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region as well as chair of the CIVEX commission, welcomed the European Parliament's proposal to allocate at least 15% of the EU's non-repayable financial support under the proposed Ukraine Facility to the recovery, reconstruction, and modernisation needs of Ukraine's sub-national authorities. The Facility would provide financial support for Ukraine until the end of 2027.

Mr Molinoz said: "The most immediate challenge is to win the support of all EU Member States for the Ukraine Facility. Then, we will have to ensure the Facility's proper implementation also with a view to creating the best conditions possible for sustainable financial support beyond 2027. In parallel, Ukraine should resume the decentralisation reform and progressively align with the EU aquis, also concerning regional policy."

The CoR unanimously adopted recommendations on the Ukraine Facility in October 2023, calling for local and regional authorities to be involved throughout the reconstruction process and voicing support for a continuation of Ukraine's decentralisation reforms.

The Association of Ukrainian Cities (AUC), the organiser of the Forum, and the CoR are founder members of the European Alliance of Cities and Regions for the Reconstruction of Ukraine. In March 2022, the AUC's president, Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko, became the first honorary member of the CoR.

The CoR's backing for Ukraine's reconstruction efforts, which includes serving as the secretariat of the Alliance, forms part of a 10-point support package on the part of the CoR. Other assistance ranges from facilitating the creation of summer camps in Europe for Ukrainian children to offering office space for Ukrainian cities, regions and territorial associations. On 30 November, the city of Vinnitsya opened a liaison office on the premises of the CoR in Brussels.

The meeting in Kyiv came 10 days before leaders of the EU's member states meet at a European Council to discuss whether to start talks with Ukraine on membership of the European Union and to agree on the Ukraine Facility.

President Cordeiro led a delegation of leaders of the CoR's political groups to Kyiv in April 2023, for the International Summit of Cities and Regions, at which he met Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The CoR's Working Group on Ukraine, including Mr Molinoz, visited Lviv in October 2023.