Following on from Moldova in May (see EUROPE 13178/28), Ukraine joined the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) programme on Tuesday 6 June. The Commissioner for Transport, Adina Vălean, and the Deputy Prime Minister for the Restoration of Ukraine and Minister for Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development, Oleksandr Kubrakov, signed the agreement in Lviv, a city in western Ukraine close to the Polish border.
Ukrainian project promoters will therefore be able to apply for EU funding for projects of common interest in the fields of transport, energy and digital technology to further improve Ukraine’s connectivity with its EU neighbours. It will support Ukraine’s integration into the EU single market and promote growth, employment and competitiveness.
This agreement “will pave the way for projects that will help modernise Ukraine’s infrastructure and improve its connectivity with the EU, such as investments in border crossing points with the EU”, explained Ms Vălean in a statement. “This is a concrete step to further boost the Solidarity Lanes and support the reconstruction of Ukraine”, she added. (Original version in French by Anne Damiani)