Project Title: RESILIENT LRAS IN UA AND THE V4 THROUGH COOPERATION

Implementation Period: February 1, 2026 – May 1, 2027

Project Objective: To strengthen the institutional capacity of local and regional authorities in Ukraine in the context of implementing the EU acquis in the field of regional policy and coordination of structural instruments. The project also aims to develop a sustainable model of cooperation between Ukraine and the Visegrad Four (V4) countries as a key component of Ukraine's integration into the European cohesion policy space and to enhance the ability to apply its tools in regional development practice.

Project Description: The project focuses on reinforcing the institutional resilience of Ukrainian local and regional authorities amidst the full-scale war and the active European integration process. These factors necessitate the adaptation of institutional mechanisms to EU acquis requirements, the development of multi-level coordination, the enhancement of financial and administrative capacities, and the formation of long-term partnerships with V4 countries. Conceptually, the project is based on the multi-level governance approach and EU cohesion policy principles. It includes focus groups with local and regional officials, an international conference, the development of practice-oriented training modules, and a study visit to the border regions of Slovakia and Hungary to explore territorial cooperation practices and EGTC (European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation) activities. Additionally, an analytical brief will be prepared with recommendations for regulatory convergence and the integration of cooperation into state regional policy, with an emphasis on strengthening regional economic resilience.

Project Working Group:

1. Yaroslav Lazur – Head of the Working Group; Acting Dean of the Faculty of Law; Doctor of Law, Professor; Corresponding Member of the National Academy of Legal Sciences of Ukraine (Department of State-Legal Sciences and International Law).
2. Yuliia Fetko – Project Executor; Director of the Research Institute of Fundamental and Applied Research on European Territorial Cooperation; Associate Professor of the Department of International Law; PhD in Law, Associate Professor.
3. Mariya Mendzhul – Project Executor; Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Law for International Relations; Professor of the Department of Civil Law and Procedure; Doctor of Law, Professor.
4. Vadym Pishta – Project Executor; Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Law for Scientific Work; Associate Professor of the Department of Administrative, Information, and Financial Law; PhD in Law.
5. Ivan Habani – Senior Lecturer of the Department of International Law; PhD in Law.
6. Diana Haydanka – Project Executor; Associate Professor of the Department of English Philology; PhD in Philology, Associate Professor.
7. Bettina Prodan – Assistant to the Project Manager; Senior Laboratory Assistant of the Department of International Law.

Partners:

1. National Academy of Legal Sciences of Ukraine (https://nals.com.ua/)
2. Uzhhorod National University (Faculty of Law; Research Institute of Fundamental and Applied Research on European Territorial Cooperation) (https://www.uzhnu.edu.ua/en/)
3. Carpathian agency for human rights "vested" (https://kaplvested.info/)
4. Central European Service for Cross-Border Initiatives (CESCI), Hungary (https://budapest.cesci-net.eu/en/)
5. University of Prešov, Slovakia (https://www.unipo.sk/en/)
6. Technical University of Liberec, Czech Republic (https://www.tul.cz/en/home-page/)
7. WSB University in Dąbrowa Górnicza, Poland (https://wsb.edu.pl/en/)

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