Ukraine and the European Union on 11 February signed an agreement for a new €25 million EU programme supporting e-governance and digital economy in Ukraine.

The agreement was signed by Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Dmytro Kuleba and visiting EU Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement Oliver Varhelyi, and followed talks in Kyiv between the Commissioner and Ukrainian Prime Minister Oleksiy Honcharuk focused on issues related to bilateral cooperation between the EU and Ukraine for 2020, including updating the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (DCFTA), deepening integration into the digital market, and cooperation in the fields of energy and the environment.

At a press briefing following the meeting, the Prime Minister hailed the new digital programme as “an important step for the development of cooperation in digital sphere”.

The programme supports e-governance and the digital economy and will focus in particular on electronic inventories and compatibility and coherence (authorized data exchange between registers), electronic services, digital ID, security, and data protection. It will allow to enhance the efficiency and security of online public services, and improve access for citizens and businesses.

It is the biggest single programme in support of e-governance and the digital economy in the European Neighbourhood region.

Oleksiy Honcharuk recalled the ambitious digital transformation agenda being implemented by the Government of Ukraine.

“Our goal  is to ensure 100% digitising of public services by 2024. We plan to digitise 80% of the most demanded services this year. Digitalisation not only makes public services convenient for citizens, but eradicates corruption, makes Ukrainian institutions stronger,” the Prime Minister said.

EU Delegation announcement

Ukrainian government press release