The results of the first meeting of the Coordination Council of Energy Efficiency Fund (EEF) are the following: shaping a clear road map for launching the Energy Efficiency Fund; setting up a Coordinating Council of  Donors for Energy Efficiency Reform, and disbursing of the next financial tranche of support from the European Union to the tune of € 54 million. The meeting was attended by Vice Prime Minister/Minister of Regional Development, Construction, Housing and Communal Services of Ukraine Hennadii Zubko; Katarína Mathernová, Deputy Director-General for Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations of the European Commission; Jason Pellmar, IFC’s regional head for Ukraine, Moldova, and Belarus, as well as representatives of UNDP, GIZ, EBRD, World Bank, NEFCO, Energy Community Secretariat.

"We have been working with our European partners, inter alia with the European Union, Germany, and International Finance Corporation for more than two years  in order to establish the Energy Efficiency Fund, which is part of the implementation of key energy efficiency laws. Competition for the selection of Independent Members of the Supervisory Board of the Energy Efficiency Fund has  already kicked off,  and  the composition of the Supervisory Boards will be formed on November 14. The first energy certificates of buildings have been prepared. Certification of energy auditors has begun. 14 universities of Ukraine are engaged in a training program for energy auditors. Our goal is energy-efficient and energy-independent Ukraine", Hennadii Zubko stressed.

As the Vice Prime Minister stressed, financing of the Energy Efficiency Fund is laid in the state budget. The  CMU resolution designed to increase the authorized capital of the EEF up to UAH 1 billion 600 million UAH, which is also included in the draft state budget for 2019, was approved.

According to Katarína Mathernová, the EU, the Government of Ukraine and IFC have made the matter of vital importance for Ukraine - they created the Energy Efficiency Fund, which will not only allow to ensure thermomodernization of residential buildings and achieve energy security, but also to create a  new job market. "The European Union is ready to provide a second tranche of € 54 million to support of the Energy Efficiency Fund of Ukraine. As soon as the agreement is signed, funds will be allocated to the Multi-Donor Fund", she stressed.

The Vice Prime Minister noted that the main condition for the work of the Energy Efficiency Fund is its transparency. "Guided by an example of the effective work of the decentralization donors' council, today we are setting up a Donor Coordination Board on energy efficiency reform, which clearly defines who will be responsible for each direction. IFC and World Bank will be responsible for procedures and software of the EEF; the EU and the German Government are the main donors of the Multi-Donor Fund aimed to co-finance modernization activities; GIZ - training of energy auditors; UNDP and IFC - assistance in the creation of associations of owners of apartment buildings and work in the regions to support its managers; EIB, EBRD and World Bank - modernization of utility companies. It is very important for us to cooperate with international partners in the issues of training energy auditors and improving their qualifications and competencies; creation of co-owners of condominium associations and preparation of managers for this market; creation of a market of energy auditors and a huge cluster - market of building constructions and finishing materials. The emphasis is placed, there is a lot of work ahead. We are moving on", he said.

It is worth mentioning that on April 18, 2018, there was signed the Financial Agreement between Ukraine and the EU (EE4U program) on granting a EUR 50 million irrevocable financial aid by the EU to support the Energy Efficiency Fund.