European Union

The EU funded project "Harmonisation of competition and public procurement systems in Ukraine with EU Standards" is organising a launch conference in Kyiv on 25 June 2009. The project is implemented by a consortium led by GTZ International Services (Germany) and it is aimed at contributing to the development of three important sectors of the Ukrainian economic policy: Competition (Antitrust), State aid and Public Procurement.

The project will help the Ukrainian Government to strengthen competition as a driving factor in a functioning market economy and ensure compatibility of the legal framework and enforcement mechanisms with the EU standards. Harmonisation of the rules in these three sectors with the EU standards is viewed as a precondition for effective implementation of the future association agreement and FTA between the EU and Ukraine. The project objectives therefore are quite ambitious:

• In Antitrust policy and law the project will concentrate on:
  • A mid-term programme of the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine to streamline enforcement mechanisms and competition advocacy with the best international practices and the OECD recommendations for Ukraine;
  • The development of the institutional capacities, methodologies and procedures applied to enforce the competition rules, investigate infringements, establish liability of undertakings for infringements and take decisions in a fair and transparent manner;
• In State aid sector the Government will be provided with assistance to develop:
  • A comprehensive concept of State aid and a draft legislation compatible with EU standards;
  • An adequate institutional infrastructure for monitoring of State aid operations in Ukraine, the first State aid Inventory, a model State aid Annual Report in accordance with the EU requirements;
• In Public Procurement the project experts will work to achieve:
  • Compatibility of the new legal framework with the international, primarily the EU, standards,
  • Transparent and efficient monitoring, remedies and control functions within the public procurement system in Ukraine;
  • Modernization of the institutional structure and of tendering methodologies, the development of e-procurement and a training programme for government professionals and the judiciary.

The conference will discuss challenges and implications of introducing a State aid monitoring system, adequacy of the institutional infrastructure for transparent and effective public procurement operations, current priorities of the Ukrainian competition policy.

It is expected that the conference will be introduced by Ms. Laura Garagnani, Head of ?perations of the Delegation of the European Commission to Ukraine. The Ukrainian partners - the Ministry of Economy and Antimonopoly Committee Ukraine - will be represented by Mr.Anatoliy Maksiuta, the First Deputy Minister of Economy and Mr. Olexander Melnichenko, the acting Chairman of the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine.

The conference will take place on 25 June 2009 in the Slaviansky Hall of the Lybyd Hotel on 1, Peremohy Square, from 9:30 till 17:00 and is open to the press. A press conference will start at 10:30.

For more information please contact Mr. Yulia Pecaruk, Team Leader Assistant of the Project, at Y.Pekaruk@competitionproject.org.ua or by tel/fax+38(044)594 64 39