Ukrainian Institute for International Politics Presents Study on Electronic Systems for Managing EU Structural Funds Programmes

On 4 September 2026, during the online event “Digital Tools for Structural Funds Management. Chapter 22. Opportunities for Ukraine”, Rostyslav Tomenchuk, Development Director at the Ukrainian Institute for International Politics, presented a study on the functioning of electronic systems for managing EU Structural Funds programmes and their potential application in Ukraine.

The study examines how programme management is organised in EU Member States, the functions performed by electronic systems, and which elements of this model Ukraine could begin implementing even before EU accession.

How do electronic systems work in the EU?

An electronic system for managing a Structural Funds programme is much more than a tool for submitting applications. It supports the entire project implementation cycle – from the submission and assessment of a project proposal through selection, contracting and financing to expenditure verification, reporting and monitoring of results. The system is therefore directly linked to the programme budget and to financial commitments towards beneficiaries.

An analysis of practices in France, Austria, Italy and Spain shows that there is no single model of an electronic system used across all EU Member States. Countries apply different approaches, ranging from national platforms to separate regional and sector-specific systems. At the same time, these systems perform a common set of programme management functions and ensure the exchange of the necessary data.

In Austria, for example, the national ATES platform supports the electronic submission of applications, contracting, monitoring, reporting, verification of expenditure and recording of payments. In France, programme management functions are implemented by individual Managing Authorities, which operate their own portals tailored to the priorities and procedures of their respective programmes.

What foundations are already in place in Ukraine?

Ukraine already has practical experience in using electronic systems under Interreg programmes. Ukrainian municipalities, universities, regional administrations, central executive authorities and other beneficiaries work with the electronic systems of EU cross-border and transnational cooperation programmes.

At the same time, as the study points out, DREAM and an electronic system for managing a Structural Funds programme perform different functions. DREAM is used to develop and manage a portfolio of public investment projects, while a Structural Funds programme management system is directly linked to the programme budget, financing of selected operations, contracting, expenditure verification, reporting and monitoring of results.

What does Ukraine need to put in place?

The next step should be to establish a coherent programme management model by defining the responsibilities of Managing Authorities, the bodies responsible for control and audit, as well as the rules for financial management, monitoring and reporting.

On this basis, the functional and technical requirements for electronic systems should be defined, including their architecture, data structure, electronic document management, financial management, monitoring, audit, data protection and access controls.

Ukraine does not necessarily need to develop one universal system for all future programmes. The experience of EU Member States demonstrates that separate national and regional systems can operate in parallel, provided that they are interoperable and apply common approaches to data and procedures.

What can Ukraine do before EU accession?

As Ukraine does not currently have access to the EU Structural Funds, the study proposes considering the Ukraine Facility as a potential instrument for launching pilot programmes with a defined budget, a responsible Managing Authority, and their own electronic systems for management, monitoring and reporting.

The study also proposes that a new Ukraine Facility Regulation for 2028–2034 should provide for the possibility of allocating at least 20% of funding to projects at regional and local level.

Aligning such funding with the rules and criteria of national and regional development plans could provide a basis for launching dedicated programmes together with their own electronic management and monitoring systems.

The study therefore shows that Ukraine does not need to wait until EU accession to begin moving towards a programme management model aligned with the practices of EU Member States. Piloting individual programmes, institutional models and electronic systems before accession could become a practical stage in preparing Ukraine for full participation in the EU cohesion policy system.

The event concluded with a Q&A session and closing remarks from the speakers, experts and organisers.

We sincerely thank our colleagues for their participation, substantive contributions and open discussion. Such exchanges are important for further cooperation between Ukrainian public authorities, the expert community and representatives of European institutions as Ukraine prepares to meet the requirements under Chapter 22 of the accession negotiations.

The event and the preparation of the analytical note are carried out under the project “Cohesion and Structural Instruments in the Accession Negotiation Process.” This material was prepared with the support of the European Union and the International Renaissance Foundation under the joint initiative “Whole-of-Society Accession: Strengthening Civil Society Role in Ukraine’s EU Accession.” The material represents the views of the authors and does not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union or the International Renaissance Foundation.