This was the focus of a study visit to Brussels, which took place on June 15–18, 2026, as part of the Polish Development Assistance project “Supporting the Development of Entrepreneurship and Competitiveness in Ukrainian Regions—Continuation.”
The visit was attended by Khrystyna Solovei, Deputy Director of the Vinnytsia Regional Development Agency, and Viktoria Zakharchuk, Project Manager.
Over the course of three days, the participants visited key European institutions and held a series of meetings focused on regional development, cohesion policy, support for Ukraine, and the representation of regional interests in Brussels.
The program included meetings with representatives of the Permanent Representation of the Republic of Poland to the EU, the European Parliament, the European Commission (DG ENEST), the Committee of the Regions, as well as Ukrainian and Polish regional offices in Brussels. A meeting with representatives of the Embassy of Ukraine to the EU was a particularly important event.
Special attention was paid to the role of regional representations at EU institutions, mechanisms for regional interaction with European structures, and opportunities to advance regional interests at the international level.
Such visits not only provide a better understanding of how European policies are formulated and implemented but also allow for establishing new professional contacts and gaining practical experience that is useful for the development of Ukrainian regions and communities.
We thank the organizers for the opportunity to participate in a professional dialogue on the future of regional development and Ukraine’s European integration.