7 June, Kyiv: Representatives of European Union embassies and cooperation institutes witnessed first hand how the EU is working together with its partners to help develop communities in Ukraine. Headed by Laura GARAGNANI, Head of Operations at the EU Delegation to Ukraine, and Ricarda RIEGER, UNDP Country Director, the group of diplomats (from Poland, Gemany, Finland, Spain and the Netherlands) visited the pilot community of CBA Project in the village of Yerkivtsi.

The delegation was welcomed by local community organization, its leaders told about the path towards self-organization and its effect of the community life. After a very lively discussion with local people, the guests had a chance to observe the results of joint work, visiting several households.

In Yerkivtsi, the delegation saw how the entire 1060 person village has benefitted from joint EU-UNDP support. Thanks to CBA, Yerkivtsi's community organisation "Vira-2008" set the village's priority needs and agreed to reconstruct their water supply system. Through two micro-projects, they replaced the pumps and pipes and installed a control unit. Both projects cost UAH 301'482 of which over UAH 17’000 was contributed by the community. The remaining funds were provided by the EU / UNDP CBA Programme, local authorities and business.

EU representative Laura Garagnani stated: "By supporting civil society and helping communities identify and address their own needs and priorities, we can help facilitate practical and sustainable improvements to living conditions at the local level".

“CBA project’s experience demonstrates that empowering Ukrainian communities to take charge of their own destinies enables them to use their collective strength to help themselves. We are glad to see that our partner state authorities and local self-government bodies are increasingly supporting local communities’ initiatives. This is a good example of mutual cooperation and development synergy.” – said Ricarda Rieger, UNDP Country Director during the visit.

After the meeting in Yerkivtsi, the delegation also visited Pereyaslav-Khmelnytskyi rayon community resource centre created within the framework of CBA-I as part of rayon state administration structure. A ‘round table’ type of discussion was organized in the premises of rayon administration in participation of rayon leadership (Head of rayon state administration and rayon council) and representatives of other 5 pilot communities. Participants frankly exchanged views on the use and results of such an approach, and expressed their intention to continue cooperation.

The visit came at an important moment. Exactly one week ago, First Deputy Prime Minister Andriy Klyuyev, and Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy Štefan Füle signed an agreement for a second phase of the successful Community Based Approach (CBA) Programme. "Deepening co-operation with the Ukrainian authorities is a top priority for the EU, but this has to extend beyond Kyiv and to touch the lives of Ukrainian citizens at large," Commissioner Štefan Füle stated at the signing ceremony in Brussels.

Community Based Approach in Yerkivtsi village

Funded by the EU and implemented by UNDP, the current Community Based Approach to Local Development (CBA) programme has helped over 1000 Ukrainian communities rebuild health centres, install street lighting, replace windows in schools and hospitals and ensure the supply of clean water, since the programme's start in 2007.