On 17 August, the Cabinet of Ministers approved its Programme. The next stage is its approval by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.

The explanatory note to the draft resolution states that the Programme sets out the Government’s strategic and policy objectives, the criteria and indicators for achieving them, and its operational objectives and tasks. To implement these, the Government will develop and approve annual priority action plans with specific measures, timelines, and expected outcomes.

A separate section of the Programme is dedicated to the Ministry for Communities, Territories and Internally Displaced Persons. Its programme objective is defined as the development of communities and territories based on the principles of cohesion, through a transition from fragmented support for regions and individual vulnerable groups to a unified, territory-oriented policy of recovery and development, built on the principles of the EU cohesion policy.

The document sets out five operational objectives: cohesive development of territories, long-term solutions for IDPs, multi-level governance, a high quality of life, and international partnership.

Cohesion policy and regional development

One of the priorities is the transition to the EU cohesion policy. In 2026, a priority support package is to be introduced for frontline territories as a distinct functional type of territory.

By 2027, the Programme envisages the creation of a unified data system and portfolio management for the development of territories. This refers, in particular, to a unified portfolio of public investments within the DREAM ecosystem and a geoinformation system for monitoring regional development.

The financing system for regional development is also set to be reformed. It is envisaged that the State Fund of Regional Development will operate on a three-year planning cycle as a tool for the implementation of strategies based on the principles of the EU cohesion policy.

Another objective for 2027 is to establish a unified strategic framework for regional development for the period 2028–2034 and to introduce a territorially differentiated policy for recovery and development. Separate support packages are to be implemented for each functional type of territory.

The Programme also refers to European integration objectives: Ukraine must fulfil the conditions set by the EU for the closure of Negotiating Chapter 22 “Regional Policy and Coordination of Structural Instruments”, in particular by implementing the Master Plan and defining the governance structure for EU cohesion policy tools.

Powers, services, and financial capacity of communities

In 2027, the Government plans to finalise the legislative delineation of powers between executive authorities and local governments in line with the principles of decentralisation, subsidiarity, and the European Charter of Local Self-Government.

Other objectives include:

• ensuring the availability of public services at the level of communities, particularly in frontline territories;
• strengthening the financial capacity of communities based on transparent inter-budgetary relations and the effective use of local resources;
• aligning legislation on local self-government and the territorial organisation of power with EU law;
• enhancing the capacity of communities and regions to develop high-quality projects through the training of project managers and the reform of the network of regional development agencies.

One of the indicators of the fulfilment of the Programme is that all communities have the powers, resources, and human capacity to provide residents with high-quality and accessible public services guaranteed by the state.

Separately, in 2026, there are plans to increase the salaries of staff of district state administrations and to restructure these administrations.

Support for IDPs: coordination, services, housing

The Programme provides for inter-ministerial coordination of state policy on internally displaced persons, with the involvement of the Ministry of Social Policy. A work plan with a clear division of duties and responsibilities is to be approved in 2026.

The Programme also provides for the introduction of communication tools to inform IDPs and ensure access to services and benefits provided for by law through a “one-stop shop” system.

By 2027, the Programme envisages:

• the launch of a unified support and integration pathway for IDPs in communities;
• the creation of a systematic model for the transition from temporary accommodation to permanent housing solutions;
• the launch of an information and analytical system for real estate property – the Housing Register for IDPs;
• the development of a comprehensive regulatory framework for temporarily occupied territories.

A specific objective for 2026 is to improve the system for horizontally equalising the tax-raising capacity of local budgets, taking into account the specific needs of communities that host internally displaced persons (IDPs) and support for frontline territories.

Housing, spatial development, and accessibility

The Programme sets out the objective of simplifying the development of comprehensive spatial development plans for communities. Additionally, in 2026, the procedures for cooperation between national executive bodies and local governments on issues of accessibility in the physical, digital, social, educational, and public environments are to be regulated.

Housing policy objectives include the implementation of the Law “On the Basic Principles of Ukraine’s Housing Policy”, the drafting of a new version of the Law “On Social Housing”, the establishment and funding of social housing funds, the improvement of regulations governing the management of the housing stock, and the introduction of a digital system for its registration.

The Programme also covers compensation for damaged and destroyed housing, the transparent determination of construction costs funded by public money, the introduction of BIM technologies, and the renovation of housing through the Energy Efficiency and Thermal Modernisation of Buildings Fund.

Key targets include the development of 500 accessible routes in communities in 2026–2027.

International partnerships and community projects

In the international component, the Programme envisages expanding the portfolio of funding for recovery based on an internationally recognised needs assessment, introducing direct funding for communities through intergovernmental agreements, systematising international technical assistance, and coordinating with donors in line with the priorities of regional policy.

By 2027, the network of international partnerships between regions and communities is set to be expanded, in particular through twinning, inter-regional, and macro-regional cooperation.

The Programme also envisages restructuring the network of direct partnerships – “bridges of trust” – between Ukrainian communities and regions and between communities and regions in countries where Ukrainians reside. One of the targets set is the establishment of at least 100 such partnerships, the training of 1,000 project managers and the attraction of USD 500 million for community and regional projects in 2026–2027.