Representatives of 16 amalgamated hromadas of the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast – winners of the qualifying competition – got an opportunity to take part in the study tour to Polish city of Lublin, organised by the Dnipropetrovsk Local Government Development Centre, with the support of the U-LEAD with Europe Programme.

Our fellow countrymen visited the gminas of Rokitno, Niemce, and Ostrówek, and got acquainted with the Polish experience of decentralisation, implemented projects and prospects of cooperation in the Town Council of Lubartow.

Participants of the trip visited the waste sorting plant, water supply and wastewater treatment plant, and were interested in a waste recycling facility, generating biogas and electricity for five Polish communities, and energy efficiency projects, including thermo-modernisation of buildings, solar panels, alternative fuel boilers, and street lighting. Our fellow countrymen asked their Polish colleagues about the path they had overcome to achieve this success, as well as possible risks and ways to avoid them.

Poland has been implementing its reforms for eight years. Ukrainian hromadas have to implement them promptly, catching up with the time lost. Ukrainian guests told their Polish colleagues about the decentralisation strategy of the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast and its sectoral directions, about their hromadas and projects implemented in their territories, as well as different forms of experience exchange, such as: Good Neighbourhood Fair and the Forum “3D: Decentralisation - Dnipropetrovsk – Deeds”. The most important is that they told about the desire to turn their AHs into successful European hromadas. And now, when they witnessed such prospects personnally, their desire turned into confidence in the result.

Olena Tertyshna, director of the Dnipropetrovsk Local Government Development Centre, established with the support of the U-LEAD with Europe Programme and MinRegion of Ukraine, noted that the participants of the trip should study in detail the practices of European neighbours on community management, budget plan formation and implementation of investment initiatives to effectively implement them in their territories.