Merging ministries can accelerate European integration processes – opinion

The decision taken by the Cabinet of Ministers to merge three ministries into one, the Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine, may accelerate European integration processes.

This opinion was expressed by the Executive Director of the Confederation of Builders of Ukraine Oleksandr Chervak in a comment to the Interfax-Ukraine agency.

"Ukraine is working on the implementation of the EU Regulation on Construction Products (305/2011), which is a key step towards "industrial visa-free" - free access of Ukrainian goods to EU markets. The merger of ministries does not change these plans: the country remains on course to comply with European standards. The merger of ministries may even accelerate these processes, provided that the new structure can effectively implement digitalization programs and support Ukrainian manufacturers," he commented on the decision on the merger adopted by the Cabinet of Ministers.

According to Chervak, in general, despite the changes, key procedures for the construction industry remain valid. For example, environmental impact assessment (EIA) will continue to be mandatory for large projects. This area will be handled by the environmental unit within the new ministry. The legislation on EIA is not changing, but it is expected that the quality of services will increase due to digitalization and simplification of procedures.

Construction permit procedures also remain unchanged - they are determined by the law, not the government structure. At the same time, the new distribution of powers should be taken into account.

"There is hope that the unification of the economic, agricultural and environmental blocks will allow synchronizing work with lands, resources and investments. But on the other hand, the new ministry will receive a significant workload. It is important to appoint specialized deputy ministers as soon as possible, who will ensure effective management of each area. Business is counting on openness and clear communication from the state," Chervak concluded.

The Confederation of Builders of Ukraine (CBU) is the largest industry association, with over 900 members, representing over 100,000 workers in the construction and related industries. CBU is the sole representative of Ukraine in the Federation of the European Construction Industry (FIEC), which includes 32 national member federations from 27 European countries.