European Commission - Press release
18 June
2015
Today, on the occasion of his visit to Kyiv,
Commissioner Hahn has signed with Minister of Economy, Mr Abromavicius, the
financing agreement worth €55 million for the programme EU
Support to Ukraine to Re-launch the Economy (EU SURE). With
this programme, the EU's grant allocation for this year alone is set to amount
to around €200 million and it is a further sign of the unprecedented support
made available to a non-EU country in such a short period of time, in a variety
of grants and loans. In addition, also today the Verkhovna Rada of
Ukraine has ratified the "Memorandum of Understanding" for the
third macro-financial assistance package from the European Union, amounting to
€1.8 billion.
"Today's
ratification by the Ukrainian Parliament of the Memorandum of Understanding for
the new EU macro-financial support is a clear sign of the commitment of Ukraine
to its reforms path", said Valdis Dombrovskis, Vice-President for the Euro
and Social Dialogue. "The measures included in the Memorandum, in particular
on the fight against corruption and on the reform of its public administration,
are key for Ukraine to become a secure and prosperous state, despite the
conflict in the East of the country. We are now working towards disbursing the
first payment of EUR 600 million in the coming weeks."
European
Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Commissioner, Johannes Hahn,
said: "I am glad to sign
the financing agreement for the 2015 special measure in support of private
sector development and economic recovery. This programme will support the
development of SMEs across Ukraine and early recovery of those regions most
affected by the conflict. The package will help to set up Business Support
Centres in 15 regions. We hope this can help launch new businesses and contribute
to a new start for people who have had to leave their homes due to the
conflict."
This
is part of a wider coordinated effort under the Eastern Partnership to improve
access to finance for SMEs and to help them prepare for the Trade part of the
Association Agreement aiming at establishing a Deep and Comprehensive Free
Trade Area which will be provisionally applied as of 1 January 2016. The
recently launched DCFTA Facility should leverage about €1billion for Ukraine to
help SMEs seize new trade opportunities, improve access to finance and helping
businesses comply with European standards.
During
his visit Commissioner Hahn will also be announcing that, in recognition of
reform efforts undertaken, Ukraine will receive a substantial additional
allocation this year under the Umbrella fund, which means that Ukraine will
benefit from at least €200 million this year in grant funding, in line with
commitments taken in March of last year.
Background
The
Financing Agreement signed today is part of the first 2015 Special Measure for
Private sector Development and Approximation approved by the European
Commission on 23 April.
EU Support to Ukraine to Re-launch the Economy - EU
SURE (€55 million): The action supports national, regional and local
authorities and other stakeholders to develop and implement effective economic
development policies, including SMEs policy. One component will be the setting
up of Business Support Centres to cover 15 regions, managed by the EBRD for the
development of regional capacities and training in entrepreneurial skills in at
least 15 regions of Ukraine, in association with local business associations,
banks and local/regional authorities; particular emphasis will be put on the
areas affected by the conflict to contribute to the recovery. This action will
also facilitate Ukraine's participation in Horizon 2020.
DCFTA Facility for SMEs has been launched at the Eastern Partnership Summit in
Riga in May this year. The Facility will provide some €200 million worth of
grants from the EU budget over the next 10 years. This contribution is expected
to unlock new investments worth at least €2 billion for the SMEs in the three
DCFTA countries: Georgia, Republic of Moldova and Ukraine. The financial means
for the investments will be largely coming from the European Bank for
Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the European Investment Bank (EIB).
For more information:
Follow
Vice-President Dombrovskis on Twitter @vdombrovskis
Follow
Commissioner Hahn on Twitter @JHahnEU
Website
of the Vice-President Dombrovskis:
Website
of the Commissioner Hahn:
Website
of DG Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations:
Delegation
of the European Union to Ukraine:
Press
Release IP/15/5012 EU to unlock €2 billion worth of investment for small
businesses in Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine:
Memo
on DCFTA facility:
MEMO/15/4863
European Commission support for Ukraine:
MEMO/14/159
European Commission's support to Ukraine:
Press
Release IP/15/5024 on the signature of the Memorandum of Understanding for
Macro-financial Assistance to Ukraine:
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