Archive: January 2024

In 2023, Ukraine came only 2% closer to fulfilling its European integration obligations in the field of transport , increasing the share of implementation of European directives from 53% to 55% . We obtained such indicators after analyzing information from the government website "Puls Ugoda" based on the results of 2023 and 2022.

According to the website, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine added two percentage points to its "portfolio", increasing the implementation rate from 56% to 58% . The Committee of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine (VRU) on transport and infrastructure did not make any progress during the year, remaining at 19% . The Ministry of Development of Communities, Territories and Infrastructure of Ukraine and other central executive bodies in the field of transport achieved the greatest progress, their joint indicator of implementation of the Association Agreement increased from 33% to 42% .

As of January 10, 2023, the share of overdue obligations, according to the government website, is:

• Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine: 42% non-compliance;
• Other central bodies of executive power: 68% non-compliance;
• VRU Committee on Transport and Infrastructure: 81% non-implementation.

The implementation of Regulation 1370/2007/EC is among the European integration draft laws that were not considered by the VRU transport committee last year. A package of five draft laws (5149 as the main and supplementary 5150, 5151, 5152 and 5185) was registered three years ago, long before Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. This package of legislative changes is needed both for Ukraine to become a member of the EU and to create an opportunity for local transport organizers to switch to modern principles of ordering and financing public transport services.

Various cities have repeatedly appealed to legislators to adopt this package of laws. Also, about 100 representatives of local self-government bodies, who participated in the All-Ukrainian Urban Mobility Forum, which took place in Lviv on April 26-28, 2023, addressed a joint appeal to the parliament with a request to speed up consideration of this issue.

According to the non-governmental organization "Vision Zero", such slow progress in the implementation of the Agreement delays the European integration of Ukraine and complicates the life of cities and citizens already now.

"Private and communal transport companies are barely surviving in the constant crisis conditions, which began back in 2020 with the coronavirus pandemic and only worsened in 2022-2023. As a result, the quality and reliability of public transport services is constantly and rapidly decreasing. Small ones suffer the most communities, especially in rural areas, where bus transportation is completely unprofitable and the lack of legal financing. These problems, which are experienced by the majority of the population of Ukraine, are probably unknown to the members of the VRU transport committee, who move around the cities and the country only by car are trying to change something, but due to outdated and imperfect legislation, they are limited in their ability to implement transport changes at the local level," Viktor Zagreba , chairman of the board of the non-governmental organization "Vision Zero", commented on the situation.

The public organization reminds that Ukraine ratified the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the European Union on September 16, 2014, that is, this year will be the 10th anniversary of this event. Ukraine's acquisition of the status of a candidate for EU accession does not cancel the need to fulfill the obligations specified in the Association Agreement. On the contrary, in addition to these obligations, the VRU and the government will have to develop and approve a large number of additional documents on state policy, in particular in the field of transport. Therefore, the implementation of the articles of the Association Agreement in the field of transport remains extremely necessary and mandatory on the part of the Verkhovna Rada, the Cabinet of Ministers and other central state authorities.

Representatives of the NGO "Vision Zero" took part in the meeting "on certain urgent issues of the functioning of automobile passenger transport", which was held online on December 28, 2023. The meeting was convened and conducted by Oleksandr Dyachenko - acting head of the internal road transport department and Svyatoslav Tovstyga - head of the urban transport department of the Ministry of Community Development, Territories and Infrastructure of Ukraine. The heads of transport departments and communal enterprises of local governments of Lviv, Dnipro, Chernihiv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ternopil and other cities took part in the discussion.

The chairman of the board of the NGO "Vision Zero" Viktor Zagreba made a presentation on the topic "The need for reforming the system of organizing public transport services in accordance with the Association Agreement." He spoke about the problems voiced by the participants at the "All-Ukrainian Urban Mobility Forum" in April 2023, which was co-organized by the "Vision Zero" NGO. In particular, it was about the resolution of the Forum, Ukraine's obligations to implement Regulation 1370/2007/EC in accordance with the Association Agreement with the EU (regarding the organization of public transport).

NGO "Vision Zero" consistently advocates for the improvement of the state policy of Ukraine with the aim of modernization and development of electric public transport, which meets the climate obligations of Ukraine, the goals and principles of the European Green Course and the European Strategy for Smart and Sustainable Mobility.