10/03/2025 (Agence Europe) – On Friday 7 March, the European Committee of the Regions and the ‘Ukraine - Local Empowerment and Development Programme (U-LEAD with Europe)’ announced the launch of a programme to train local and regional leaders and civil servants in Ukraine to manage reconstruction-related projects. The programme will also encourage the creation of partnerships between towns and municipalities. Twenty municipalities from 14 EU Member States and 44 staff from Ukrainian municipalities are expected to take part in a six-month pilot phase, starting in April. The programme will then be implemented in three phases: a training phase in Ukraine, an observation period in the EU, and finally a community of practice “fostering ongoing collaboration and knowledge sharing”, explained the Committee of the Regions in a press release. (CG)