The Anti-Corruption Initiative of the European Union (EUACI) and the Ministry for Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development of Ukraine (the Ministry for Restoration) have launched an Integrity Support Group (ISG) to provide expert and advisory support in planning the recovery of Ukraine.
The ISG was created in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding between the EUACI and the Ministry for Restoration signed on 16 March 2023 in Kyiv.
The Group’s main goal is to support the Ministry for Restoration in implementing best practices of accountability, transparency, integrity, and good governance in the process of recovery and reconstruction.
The Group consists of three permanent members: senior legal advisor (the ISG Head), senior expert in construction and urban planning and senior regional policy expert (vacant position). Short-term consultants and experts will be also involved at various stages of the project implementation. The ISG works under the supervision of the Deputy Minister of Restoration Oleksandra Azarkhina.
The collaboration is already showing fruitful results. During May, the Integrity Support Group experts worked closely with the Ministry for Restoration and the World Bank teams on amendments to the eRecovery program. On 30 May, the Government finally approved these amendments.
ERecovery is a state compensation program for housing damaged as a result of war. The amendments introduce certain important improvements to increase transparency and accountability of the eRecovery program, including:
- a detailed procedure for the formation of commissions, ensuring the participation of civil society;
- new procedures for monitoring the commission’s activities and verifying spendings to ensure transparency and integrity;
- a detailed procedure for appealing against the decisions of the commissions;
- the possibility to apply for compensation in paper form, ensuring that vulnerable citizens will have access to compensation.
The Group continues to provide legal assistance in developing compensation procedures for damaged housing, and for the implementation of modern regulations in construction.