A perfect recipe for the EU program to help Ukraine
This is taken from a recent speech by CES Deputy Director Maria Repko in the European Parliament.
The EU can respond to crises such as Covid with ambitious and effective programs. Therefore, the creation of a new medium-term EU program could be proposed to fight the consequences of war in Europe.
Some possible important directions for such a program include:
1. Cross-border infrastructure for trade facilitation and the movement of goods to ensure a smooth transition for Ukraine from a third country with the significant agricultural potential to a member of a single market area without harmful value chain disruptions.
2. Support for Ukrainian refugees in EU countries while their homes are rebuilt between 2024 and 2027.
3. Erazmus + or analogous educational twinning programs with European cities for building the capacities in Ukrainian municipalities and communities for reconstruction according to the EU standards.
4. Increasing military capacities in EU countries. In the EU’s common interest, Ukraine becomes part of the EU (not Russian) security architecture. The ongoing war has revealed that European rear logistics supply chains are far from ready, so financial support for the production of military supplies and logistics is essential for the EU countries.
5. War-related risks insurance programs would attract private capital to reconstruct Ukraine and help maintain the Ukrainian economy during the war. E.g., Germany now has the guarantee provided to German investors and Poland is considering this possibility. Other countries’ businesses would also benefit from mutual risk-covering funds.
6. While we understand the limitations associated with pre-accession funds, Ukraine as a candidate state, would appreciate technical aid for reforms needed to align its legislation with the EU acquis.