18:33
27.05.2026
Genuine integration into the European Union cannot be reduced to passing laws or declaratory decisions, Verkhovna Rada Committee on Ukraine’s Integration into the EU head Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze (European Solidarity faction) said.
“We need to move away from associating the passage of a law with European integration. A law in itself is not yet a reform. Even a perfect law will not work without trained people, without institutional capacity and without real implementation at the level of the citizen. If a law remains merely a passed act that does not change people’s lives, that is a kind of ‘shopwindow European integration.’ That is why it is extremely important for people to understand how certain changes affect their lives, what they give them and why these reforms matter,” Klympush-Tsintsadze said at a press conference at the Interfax-Ukraine agency on Wednesday during the presentation of the analytical study “Ukraine’s EU Accession in Practice: Sectoral Harmonization, Regional Implementation and Public Sentiment,” organized by the ANTS National Interests Protection Network.
She also stressed that public support for European integration in Ukrainian society is largely based on a security choice in conditions of war, but this trust is not unlimited.
“Public trust in European integration has a certain shelf life – it is a mandate for results. To ignore this mandate and fail to achieve real European integration is, at the very least, criminal. We must unite the efforts of civil society, parliamentarians and international partners to turn all these breakthroughs in relations with the EU into real achievements for people – especially against the backdrop of war,” the MP said.
According to ANTS Network expert on effective local self-governance Yulia Vusenko, real European integration is impossible without implementing legislative changes in everyday life.
“Today it is very important that European integration does not remain merely a process of passing laws. Real integration into the EU begins when communities, businesses and state institutions are able to implement these changes in everyday life. That is why we need not only formal harmonization of legislation, but also strengthening of institutional capacity, professional personnel and financial sustainability of communities,” Vusenko said.
In the opinion of Susanna Dellans, head of the Polaris Programme team authorized by SALAR International in Ukraine, European integration succeeds when local self-governance receives resources, responsibility and an understanding of its role in the system of change.
“When we talk about European integration, I will speak specifically about communities, because that is where reforms become daily practice – or do not. The Swedish experience showed that passing legislation alone is not enough. In Sweden after joining the EU in 1995, the system only began to work properly when municipalities received resources and understood their role in these processes. Around 70% of EU legislation is implemented at the local level. It is therefore important that all levels of governance are on board this train,” Dellans said.
Institute of Civil Society director Anatoliy Tkachuk drew attention to contradictions between the current planning system in Ukraine and the EU’s actual approaches to financing community development. He said excessive proceduralization and the absence of focus on solving specific problems are already hampering communities’ access to European resources.
“Ukrainian legislation is in some areas ahead of real life, and in others is already beginning to hold it back. A development planning system was established for local self-governance that met European standards. But then we created an even more complex system — integrated development concepts, comprehensive recovery programmes, long-term public investment plans. And now this system no longer corresponds to European financing approaches. The EU does not finance simply building a school or a sewage system — the European Union finances solving a problem. And we do the opposite,” Tkachuk said.
He also stressed that for Ukraine to access European funds, adapting legislation alone is not enough – the entire approach to governance and thinking must change.
“The key task today is to look at how to link the entire institutional system to accelerated economic growth. Ukraine lacks resources, and the needs are enormous. Part of this can be addressed through European money. But to receive it, one must act according to European rules and, most importantly, change the psychology: think in a European way and take European priorities as the basis. Otherwise we will not receive this money,” he said.
According to Hatne community head and Kyiv Regional Branch head of the All-Ukrainian Association of Amalgamated Communities Oleksandr Palamarchuk, European integration is not only about new opportunities but also about the readiness of society and business to operate by transparent rules and bear shared responsibility.
“When we become part of the European Union, everyone must understand: it is not only about higher wages or pensions, but also about a different level of responsibility and taxes. And I see that small and medium businesses are ready for this. People are ready to work transparently, ready to pay more taxes, but only on the condition that the rules are the same for everyone and are followed by all without exception. That is when there will be fair competition and equitable conditions for development,” he said.
Palamarchuk also stressed that Ukrainian communities are already demonstrating extremely rapid development even in wartime conditions, and certain practices may be useful for European partners as well.