The Ministry of Development held a meeting of the Sectoral Working Group “Transport and Logistics”, which brought together representatives of the Ministry, international financial institutions and partner organizations to discuss key priorities of the transport sector and its European integration.

The event was attended by representatives of international and donor organizations, including: the World Bank, the International Finance Corporation, the European Investment Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the European Commission, the United Nations Environment Program, the Korean International Cooperation Agency, the Italian Development Agency, the French Development Agency, the US Department of Transportation, the UK Department for Business and Trade, as well as the EU delegation and embassies of Ukraine and partner countries (Italy, Austria, Lithuania, France, the USA, Estonia, Korea).

First Deputy Minister Alyona Shkrum presented the results of the official screening of Ukrainian legislation in the areas of "Transport" and "Trans-European Networks", during which compliance with 182 EU acts was assessed. She outlined the priorities for 2026: adoption of the Law "On Safety and Interoperability of Railway Transport of Ukraine", harmonization of rules in the road sector, development of water transport and modernization of critical infrastructure. Particular attention was paid to the launch of the Ukraine Transport Support Fund to coordinate international assistance in the restoration of transport.

"We have completed the official screening of key sections of the negotiations and submitted 77 presentations to the European Commission with clear plans for the implementation of 182 EU acts. All draft negotiating positions have been agreed with the working groups, which allows Ukraine to move to the next stage of negotiations with a unified and coordinated national position," emphasized Alyona Shkrum.

Presenting the water transport sector, Deputy Minister Andriy Kashuba outlined priority reforms of maritime and inland waterway transport, harmonization of Ukrainian legislation with 19 EU acts, updating the crew qualification system and technical requirements for vessels in accordance with European directives. Particular emphasis was placed on the work of the Ukrainian Maritime Corridor, which transported over 160 million tons of cargo on board more than 6 thousand vessels, as well as on the challenges and prospects for the development of ports in the Danube region, which are currently facing a decrease in transshipment volumes and require strategic solutions to maintain competitiveness. Key needs of water transport were also presented - from demining water areas to modernization of the fleet and port infrastructure.

Deputy Minister Serhiy Derkach presented plans for the development and restoration of key transport routes, border infrastructure, and the implementation of the passenger transport reform. In particular, the Border Infrastructure Development Strategy focuses on expanding the existing infrastructure and building new checkpoints, along with the modernization of the digital tool - eQueues for border crossing.

Special attention is paid to frontline regions, where it is important to ensure sustainable transport connections. To this end, procedures are being simplified and new tools for opening routes are being introduced.

Deputy Minister Yevhen Dubogryz outlined the priorities for reforming state-owned enterprises in transport: the introduction of modern practices of corporate governance and financial planning, corporatization of enterprises in the industry and modernization of tariff policy. The Ministry plans to strengthen corporate governance, introduce modern digital management practices, digital monitoring tools, and strengthen the direction of financial analysis and planning with expert support from international partners.

Deputy Minister Maryna Denysiuk outlined the key investment needs of the transport sector for 2026–2028, and also presented the sectoral portfolio of the Ministry of Development and the Unified Project Portfolio for 2026. 148 projects and 7 programs in the transport sector were included in the Sectoral Portfolio of Projects, of which 44 projects and 6 programs were selected for inclusion in the Unified Portfolio of State Projects.

To implement these projects, active work is underway to attract funds from international financial institutions, in particular the European Investment Bank (EIB), the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), etc. The Ministry of Development team is working to attract private investment in public-private partnership projects.

In the railway transport sector, a reform is underway, the strategic goal of which is the integration of Ukrainian railways into a single European space. This reform is aimed at full integration with the EU through legislative changes and structural transformation of the industry. In particular, Svitlana Zabolotska, a representative of the Railway Transport Department, spoke about the progress in the development and adoption of legislative acts that implement the policies of EU legislation in the field of railway transport. In terms of operational measures, one of the priorities in 2026 will be the development of a mechanism for state orders for passenger transportation, the start of the structural reform of JSC “Ukrzaliznytsia” and the development of a tariff model for railway transport services in a competitive transportation market. The gradual implementation of all components is planned for 2026–2031 with a full transition to the European model after the completion of the transition period and negotiations on Ukraine’s membership in the EU. 

The meeting participants discussed the six-month work plan and key results until the next meeting, emphasizing the importance of international cooperation for the modernization of transport infrastructure and the acceleration of Ukraine's European integration.

Subscribe to the pages of the Ministry for Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine on Facebook, Twitter, Telegram, and WhatsApp