Svitlana Grynchuk: Scaling up cooperation with the European Investment Bank to implement pilot projects and key reforms

Potential areas of cooperation in environmental protection and tools for jointly implementing investment projects in communities were discussed by Ukraine’s Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources, Svitlana Grynchuk, with Kristina Mikulova, Head of the Regional Hub for Eastern Europe of the European Investment Bank (EIB).

The Ministry’s priority areas include:

• Waste management. As Svitlana Grynchuk noted, Ukraine has framework legislation for the reform, and work is ongoing on sectoral laws. The National Waste Management Plan has been approved, and efforts continue with communities to develop regional plans.

“We have several communities eager for change today. Some, like Vinnytsia, Khmelnytskyi, and Slavutych, have developed projects to create relevant infrastructure. Collaboration with the EIB for such pilot projects is valuable. For instance, the EIB has already provided EUR 4.7 million for the reclamation of the Grybovychi landfill in Lviv. We have the opportunity to scale up and expand this model of cooperation across the country,” Svitlana Grynchuk emphasised.

• Sustainable water resource management and water supply. There are many areas of interest for cooperation, from expert support in sector reform to modernising and building necessary water management infrastructure. The meeting explored potential investments in projects in Mykolaiv, Odesa, Kryvyi Rih, and other regions heavily affected by russia’s armed aggression.

Kristina Mikulova noted that such projects are feasible under JASPERS, an EIB and European Commission advisory programme that assists countries in developing high-quality investment projects.

• Continuation of forestry reform. The EIB has experience supporting forest restoration projects in many EU countries, making its international expertise valuable for Ukraine in implementing environmental solutions, advancing the corporatisation of forest management, and expanding opportunities for investment.
• Sustainable subsoil use and digitisation of geological data. With EBRD support, a pilot project to scan geological reports is underway, with 5,000 books already digitised and work continuing. However, tens of thousands of reports remain to be digitised, and additional support is needed.

“I am grateful to Kristina Mikulova for the constructive meeting. The EIB already has a significant portfolio of projects in Ukraine. I am confident we can expand it with implemented projects in environmental protection,” the Minister stated.