EPL’s position on Chapter 27 of the negotiation process at URC 2026

Ukraine has made some progress in approximating the EU environmental acquis under Chapter 27, but a key challenge remains the gap between formal transposition of legislation and its practical implementation. Despite the adoption of a number of framework laws and strategic documents, the institutional capacity of environmental governance remains insufficient due to ongoing deregulation, fragmentation, duplication of powers, weak coordination between authorities, staff shortages, limited financial resources and the combination of environmental policy formulation, implementation and quality control. The delay with implementing the reforms of state environmental control, environmental monitoring and effective mechanisms for ensuring compliance with environmental legislation raises particular concerns.