Ukraine is advancing reforms of its statistical system under the EU4Statistics Ukraine Programme, a Team Europe initiative aimed at supporting the country’s reconstruction and EU integration.
The European Union (EU), together with Estonia and Sweden, launched the EU4Statistics Ukraine Programme in Kyiv with the State Statistics Service of Ukraine (Ukrstat) last Thursday, on May 28th. Through this €7.1 million flagship initiative, the EU and its partners will support Ukraine in strengthening its ability to produce and disseminate high-quality statistics and scientific data in line with European standards.
The programme will help strengthen key Ukrainian institutions and support reforms required for EU accession. Reliable statistics are essential for evidence-based policymaking, monitoring progress and advancing Ukraine’s EU integration and reconstruction efforts.
«The State Statistics Service of Ukraine is undergoing profound transformational change. We are building a statistical system that meets the highest European standards and provides statistics users with quality data for evidence-based decision-making. The support of the European Union, Sweden and Estonia, and our future collaboration under the EU4Statistics Ukraine Programme, will allow us to accelerate these changes, strengthening institutional capacity, modernising methodology and developing a new generation of statistical professionals,» said Arsen Makarchuk, Chairman of the State Statistics Service of Ukraine.
«With EU4Statistics, Ukraine is strengthening key institutions and aligning its statistical system with the EU acquis, building a system that speaks the same language as the rest of Europe. We are proud to support this work because credible numbers are the foundation beneath every reform, every reconstruction decision, and every step of Ukraine's path to EU membership,» said Stefan Schleuning, Head of Cooperation at the EU Delegation to Ukraine.
Over the next three and a half years, Ukrstat will draw on the expertise of Statistics Estonia, which has similar experience with the EU accession process, and Statistics Sweden, one of the world's oldest national statistical agencies. This collaboration will help improve the reliability, relevance and usability of Ukraine’s national statistics. Aligning Ukrstat's work with European standards will support informed policymaking, transparency and European integration.
«The EU4Statistics Ukraine Programme has a strong Ukrainian ownership and close cooperation within Team Europe, and Sweden is proud to take on the role as the lead implementing agency for the programme,» said Christina Danielsson, Head of Development Cooperation at the Embassy of Sweden to Ukraine.
Sweden will focus on enhancing the production and dissemination of high-quality data and improving professional competencies through training programmes, expanding on previous cooperation between Statistics Sweden and Ukrstat. The Swedish International Development Agency (Sida) will co-fund the EU4Statistics Programme, providing 20 million Swedish kronor (approximately €1.8 million) as a strategic complement to Sweden’s broad support of Ukraine.
«This is a partnership we can truly be proud of. I see how the opportunity to support Ukraine in its efforts to move closer to the EU is something that engages our entire organisation. And I am convinced that as we share our knowledge and experience with our Ukrainian colleagues, we will also have much to learn ourselves,» said Eva-Lo Ighe, Director General of Statistics Sweden.
The Estonian Centre for International Development (ESTDEV) will focus on the institutional framework for statistics, adding over €300 000 to the total programme budget. Statistics Estonia and Ukrstat will build on the cooperation initiated last year and will support the institutional transformation of Ukraine’s statistical system, focusing on governance, organisational development, improved cooperation with data providers in Ukraine, and revising statistical legislation to comply with EU requirements.
«Ukraine is rebuilding its institutions under very difficult circumstances. A functioning statistical system is essential both for reconstruction and for moving towards the European Union. Through ESTDEV, we are working with Ukrainian and European partners to strengthen the use of reliable data in decision-making,» said Eva-Maria Liimets, ESTDEV’s Programme Manager for Democracy and Rule of Law.
«Through our cooperation in recent years, we have witnessed the professionalism, commitment and determination of our Ukrainian colleagues. Statistics Estonia is proud to continue this collaboration and support the development of a statistical system that serves both Ukraine’s recovery and its European future,» said Urmet Lee, Director General of Statistics Estonia.