European integration of Ukraine in the “water quality” sector

Presented at the 11th roundtable on financing water in Brussels, Belgium on 30-31 May, 2024.
Ministerial Speech by Ruslan Strilets, Minister, Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources, Ukraine

1. European integration of Ukraine
in the “Water quality” sector
Ruslan Strilets,
Minister of Environmental Protection
and Natural Resources of Ukraine
May 2024
Ministry
of Environmental Protection
and Natural Resources
of Ukraine

2. European integration of national water law is a protection tool for the future
restoration of river basins.
The goal is to ensure access to high-quality and sufficient water,
as well as to guarantee the good condition of all water bodies.
Ukraine Report 2023 (November): some level of preparation.
Good progress was made in this chapter, despite Russia's war of aggression.
Legislation aimed at further alignment of horizontal issues in the field of water
quality was adopted.
On December 14, 2023, the European Council announced the start of
negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the EU.
In the “Water Quality” sector, the state of implementation of 20 directives
and regulations was assessed.
General condition
European integration of Ukraine in the “Water quality” sector

3. As part of fulfilling its European integration obligations, Ukraine:
•carried out the approximation of legislation with the EU acquis;
•identified river basins;
•created basin councils;
•reformed the water monitoring system to European requirements;
•created 4 modern laboratories.
The goal for 2024 is further implementation of the legislation, in particular:
•approval of environmental quality standards of the surface water bodies (the order of the Ministry is
undergoing legal examination at the Ministry of Justice and will soon enter into force);
•improvement of water monitoring in terms of determining the ecological condition and implementation
of technical specifications for chemical analysis of water monitoring (the project approval of the relevant
decision of the Government is ongoing);
•adoption of river basin management plans (planned until November 2024).
Plans and priorities
European integration of Ukraine in the “Water quality” sector

4. The drafts of the first management plans for all 9 river basins, including the temporarily occupied territories
of the river basins of the Crimea, the Azov region, and partially the Don, have been prepared.
RBMP drafts have been prepared in full compliance with the approaches of the EU Water Framework
Directive with the support of European partners — the EU4Environment: Water and Data program.
Rent and tax payments made for the use of water resources do not cover the costs necessary to
achieve good water status. Payback of water services is about 30%.
The total need for investments for the implementation of RBMP measures (1,635 measures)
for the first six-year cycle (2025-2030) is 8.2 billion EUR.
RBMP an important tool for attracting investments, as their measures correspond to priorities
for financing within the framework of European funds and instruments, such as:
•Ukraine Facility instrument;
•Instrument for pre-accession assistance (IPA);
•Interreg NEXT programme;
•LIFE programme
River basin management plans
and their financing
European integration of Ukraine in the “Water quality” sector

5. As a result of war actions,
430 objects were occupied and destroyed,
354 objects of immovable property of the water management infrastructure were damaged.
According to RDNA3 (as of December 2023), total recovery and reconstruction needs
are 10.7 billion USD.
The question of sustainable water use and the "good" status of water in the conditions of military
actions is a question of national security.
The government is developing a concept for reforming the water sector, as a result of which
the National Joint Stock Company “Water of Ukraine” will be created.
This should ensure balanced use of water resources and availability of water of appropriate quality.
War impact
European integration of Ukraine in the “Water quality” sector

6. Goal
Rational use of water resources by optimizing
organizational processes and increasing the
efficiency of water infrastructure management.
Reforming management in the water sector —
establishment of JSC “Water of Ukraine”
European integration of Ukraine in the “Water quality” sector
Objectives
•1.4 billion USD in attracting funds for the repair
and modernization of the water supply
infrastructure (according to the calculations of
international experts).
•Cost optimization by implementing a new
management system.
•Support of the economy as a result of
increasing the level of localization of
equipment production.
Expected economic effect
+1.2% additional growth of Ukraine's GDP
every year (according to the calculations of
international experts)
Instruments
An improved system of control over the use of
water resources.
Open and effective water monitoring.
Reliable accounting of water bodies and mapping
of the implementation of EU directives.
Until September 2024 October-December 2024 January 2025
Development and adoption of changes to legislation Creation of JSC "Water of Ukraine"
The start of the work of JSC "Water of Ukraine"
and the implementation of the reform

7. The environmental component should be an integral part of post-war reconstruction planning.
Principles of “green transition” in post-war reconstruction
European integration of Ukraine in the “Water quality” sector
The key principles are:
•Build Back Better;
•Вuild Вack Greener;
•"reproduction and tireless use
of water resources";
•"polluter pays".
In the field of water resources management of
Ukraine, a number of main priorities and goals set
by the requirements of EU policies require
implementation, such as:
•improving wastewater and stormwater
management;
•restoration of rivers and their floodplains;
•ensuring water resistance of ecosystems and
infrastructure;
•revision of water quality standards - monitoring of
microplastics, micropollutants and
pharmaceuticals;
•protection of waters from nitrate pollution from
agricultural sources;
•implementation of chemical safety policy.
As part of the implementation of the
President Volodymyr Zelenskyi’s
Peace Formula, an Environmental Treaty
was developed, the main purpose of
which is to bring the aggressor to justice
and create the best algorithms for
environmental restoration.

8. Thanks for your attention!
Ruslan Strilets,
Minister of Environmental Protection
and Natural Resources of Ukraine
May 2024
Ministry
of Environmental Protection
and Natural Resources
of Ukraine