On 13–15 October in Brussels, local leaders, politicians, and experts from across Europe gathered at the European Week of Regions and Cities – the European Union’s largest annual forum dedicated to regional development and cohesion policy. The Polaris Programme “Supporting Multilevel Governance in Ukraine”, together with the Cities4Cities initiative, supported the participation of Ukraine’s all-Ukrainian local governance associations in the forum.

The delegation includes representatives of the All-Ukrainian Association of Amalgamated Territorial Communities (AAATC), the All-Ukrainian Association of Communities (AUAC), and the Ukrainian Association of District and Regional Councils (UADRC).

As part of the visit, the delegation visited the Brussels office of the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions (SALAR). With the support of the Cities4Cities initiative, the Delegation will meet with the Mission of Ukraine to the EU and with the European Commission’s Directorates-General – DG NEAR, DG AGRI, and DG REGIO. These directorates are responsible for cooperation with Ukraine in the areas of local self-governance, regional development, and rural policy, as well as for legislative harmonisation in these fields.

The discussions are focused on key topics such as:

• access of hromadas to financing through the Ukraine Facility;
• development of strategic planning and transparency tools (including the DREAM system);
• engagement of associations in the negotiation process for Chapters 11 and 22 (rural development and regional policy);
• Ukraine’s preparation for the implementation of the LEADER approach for sustainable rural development.

On 15 October, as part of the official programme of the European Week of Regions and Cities, an interactive session “Start municipal partnerships with Ukraine: build resilience and solidarity” will also take place. t is organised by SALAR (SALAR International), the Cities4Cities initiative within the “International Municipal Cooperation” sphere of the Polaris Programme, and the NGO Stand with Ukraine.

The discussion will be moderated by SALAR International expert and Senior Adviser of the Polaris Programme Magnus Liljeström and speakers include Advisor to the Mayor of Lviv (Ukraine) Ostap Protsyk, Mayor of Mechelen (Belgium) Bart Somers, and Vice President of Metropolitan Montpellier (France) Claire Hart. More than 80 representatives from European municipalities and Ukrainian hromadas are expected to participate in the event.

For Ukrainian hromadas, the European Week of Regions and Cities serves not only as a platform for experience exchange but also as a symbol of unity and shared values with European partners. Step by step, Ukraine’s local self-government is asserting itself as a full-fledged member of the European family – open, strong, and cohesive.

The motto of EURegionsWeek 2025 is “Shaping Tomorrow Together”, with the main themes focusing on cohesion, growth, and the development of future hromadas.