Ukraine prepares to integrate its energy sector into the EU

Ukraine and the European Union have begun preparations for a meeting at which they will discuss integrating Ukraine’s energy sector into the EU, Kyiv’s Ministry of Energy said.

As reported by CEEnergyNews, Ukraine and the European Commission have already taken part in preliminary talks on integration. The meeting was attended by representatives of the European Commission, the Office for Coordination of European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, Ukraine’s Ministry of Energy and several other Ukrainian state authorities. The meeting reviewed Ukraine’s implementation of the EU recommendations under the 2023 EU Enlargement Package. Further steps to assess whether Ukrainian legislation is aligned with European law were also considered.

The Ukrainian side also presented proposals for several legislative acts relating to renewable energy sources, the electricity integration package and the energy efficiency package. Deputy Energy Minister Roman Andarak noted that Ukraine’s Energy Strategy to 2050 envisages comprehensive integration with EU energy markets and ensuring the effective functioning of domestic energy markets.

“I particularly want to emphasise the importance of all aspects of integration, as we understand that the main task is not only to implement legislation, but also to achieve the objectives set out in the relevant EU directives and regulations,” Andarak said.

The deputy minister also noted that Ukraine’s National Energy and Climate Plan for the period up to 2030 had already been approved as part of implementing the EU recommendations. Conditions for holding auctions to allocate support for the development of renewables have improved, and guarantees of origin have been introduced for electricity generated from renewable energy sources.

Representatives of the European Commission stressed that priorities for EU energy policy and enlargement more broadly would include areas such as energy affordability, achieved by creating a strong internal energy market. The sustainability of the energy sector in line with European climate goals and the achievement of climate neutrality are also in focus, as are security of supply, preparedness for risks and nuclear safety. Ukraine must be ready to implement measures in all these areas.

As for EU accession, Ukraine was granted candidate status on 23 June 2022, and in June 2024 the EU member states approved a negotiating framework with Ukraine and Moldova.