Ukraine successfully completes EU screening for enterprise and industrial policy

On 28–29 April, an official screening of Ukraine’s legislation compliance with European Union standards for Chapter 20 – Enterprise and Industrial Policy – took place in Brussels.

The online meeting was opened by the Head of the Delegation and Chief Negotiator, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration and Minister of Justice, Olha Stefanishyna. Ukraine’s progress in aligning its legislation with EU norms was presented by Deputy Minister of Economy Tetiana Berezhna, Deputy Minister of Economy Andrii Teliupa, Deputy Director of the Regulatory Policy and Entrepreneurship Department at the Ministry of Economy Oleksandr Vasylchuk, as well as representatives from the Ministry of Education and Science, the State Space Agency, the State Service of Geology and Subsoil, the Ministry for Communities and Territories Development, and the Ministry of Strategic Industries.

Preparations for the screening spanned several months, involving coordination between the Ministry of Economy’s structural units, relevant state authorities, and the Government Office for Coordination of European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine.

During the sessions, the Ministry of Economy team presented progress in the following areas:

• Industrial Policy Development – modernising industrial ecosystems, implementing Smart Specialisation principles, and supporting the green transformation of production.
• Support for Small and Medium Enterprises – participation in the EU Single Market Programme, promoting cluster development, and simplifying access to financing.
• Light Industry Development – supporting enterprises that maintain production, exports, and jobs despite wartime conditions, and adopting circular economy principles.
• Corporate Sustainability and Business Responsibility – harmonising policies with European standards for corporate responsibility and sustainable development.
• Deregulation and Digitalisation – simplifying regulations and developing digital services for businesses.
• Social Economy Development – supporting enterprises focused on societal needs and community recovery.
• Steel Industry Recovery – presenting plans to rebuild production capacities and integrate into European supply chains.

“We showcased practical tools for supporting businesses and developing industry: the 5-7-9% Affordable Loans programme, grants for establishing and expanding processing enterprises, and solutions for modernising production and implementing Smart Specialisation in regions. The European Commission positively assessed the systematic nature of our approaches, the tangible results of existing programmes, and Ukraine’s progress in aligning policies with EU standards,” said Andrii Teliupa.

The European Commission praised the high level of preparation by the Ukrainian delegation. Among areas needing further attention is the faster implementation of the Late Payment Directive.

“The positive outcome of the screening is a significant step in Ukraine’s EU accession negotiations. We will continue aligning our legislation with EU law, adopting European approaches to business and industry support, and implementing priority reforms,” added Andrii Teliupa.