📅Date: 2 June 2026 (Please note that this is an in-person event)
⏰Time: 10:00-14:00 CEST
📍Location: Permanent Representation of the Republic of Poland to the European Union, Avenue de Cortenbergh 16
🔗Register here by 1 June, 10:00 CEST
Ahead of the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC) in Gdańsk in June 2026, the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum (EaP CSF) is organising an event in Brussels to highlight the pivotal role of civil society in Ukraine’s recovery and EU integration. Building on the outcomes of previous URCs, the event will provide an early platform for Brussels-based stakeholders to exchange perspectives and formulate recommendations that can feed directly into the agenda of the upcoming URC.
The discussion takes place against the backdrop of Russia’s ongoing war of aggression against Ukraine. Recovery and reconstruction are therefore not post-war concepts but parallel processes that must be implemented under wartime conditions. Ensuring democratic resilience, transparency, accountability, and social cohesion is essential for both sustainable recovery and successful EU accession. In this context, civil society organisations play a critical role in governance oversight, policy development, and citizen engagement.
The event will feature two thematic panels focusing on key dimensions of Ukraine’s transformation: human capital and EU integration. Both panels will underline how civil society, in partnership with public authorities, EU institutions, and the private sector, can contribute to a people-centred, inclusive, and EU-aligned recovery.
The Eastern Partnership Civil Society Summit 2025 Resolution, notably its provisions on Ukraine, reaffirms civil society as a key driver of positive transformation, accountability, and resilience. Continued civil society engagement in governance monitoring and the protection of human rights remains essential for Ukraine’s democratic development throughout both wartime and recovery.
Expected Outcomes
The event aims to:
- Provide actionable recommendations to inform the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2026 in Gdańsk.
- Strengthen dialogue between EU institutions, EU Member States, Ukrainian authorities and civil society.
- Highlight the importance of a people-centred and inclusive recovery aligned with EU values and standards.
- Reinforce the strategic role of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum and the Ukrainian National Platform in supporting Ukraine’s democratic transformation.
Agenda:
10:00–10:30: Registration
10:30—10:45: Welcome Remarks
Mr Arkadiusz Plucinski, Deputy Head of the Permanent Representation of the Republic of Poland to the European Union, Minister-Counsellor
Ms Oksana Diukun, Deputy Head of the Mission of Ukraine to the European Union
10:45–11:45: Panel 1: Preserving and Restoring Human Capital
Human capital is a decisive factor for Ukraine’s resilience, economic recovery, and successful EU integration. War-related displacement, demographic decline, and labour market disruption pose significant challenges to the country’s long-term development.
Civil society plays a vital role in addressing these challenges by supporting reintegration, promoting inclusive education and skills development, advocating for social protection, and facilitating access to healthcare and employment.
Building on the UNP’s position paper on preserving and restoring human capital in Ukraine, this panel will explore how civil society, in cooperation with EU Member States and EU stakeholders, and public authorities can contribute to evidence-based and inclusive policies that facilitate the return of Ukrainians to the country, integrate war veterans, ensure gender equality, and strengthen Ukraine’s workforce and societal resilience. It will also highlight how investments in human capital align with EU standards and support Ukraine’s accession ambitions.
- Ms Marta Wytrykowska, Deputy Head of Division for Ukraine, Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Secretariat-General, European External Action Service
- Ms Iryna Kuropas, Project Manager of the Local Economic Development Agency of the Yavoriv District, Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum
- Ms Anna Fedas, International Cooperation Program Coordinator, Stefan Batory Foundation
Moderated by Dr Marcin Walecki, Oxford University and European Endowment for Democracy Consultant
11.45–12:00: Coffee break
12:00–13:00: Panel 2: Advancing Ukraine’s EU Integration
EU integration is a security guarantee for Ukraine, providing not only economic and political stability but also strengthening the country’s resilience against external aggression. Ukraine’s path toward EU membership represents a historic opportunity to anchor democratic reforms and ensure long-term stability. Civil society has been instrumental in promoting rule of law, transparency, and alignment with the EU acquis, and its continued engagement is essential throughout the accession process.
Drawing on lessons from the Eastern Partnership and previous enlargement rounds, this panel will explore how civil society can contribute to sustaining reform momentum and ensuring inclusive and accountable governance during both wartime and recovery. The discussion will also examine how reconstruction efforts and the Ukraine Recovery Facility can support accession-related reforms and strengthen institutional capacity, ensuring coherence between recovery priorities and EU integration objectives.
- Mr Wolfgang Nozar, Head of Unit for Governance, Rule of Law, Financial Assistance, ENEST.D.3, Ukraine Service, Directorate-General for Enlargement and Eastern Neighbourhood, European Commission
- Ms Ingrid Kressel, Director of the Development Cooperation Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Estonia
- Representative of the Mission of Ukraine to the European Union
- Ms Nataliya Andrusevych, Head of the Board, Resource and Analysis Center “Society and Environment”, Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum
- Ms Liubov Akulenko, Executive Director, Ukrainian Centre for European Policy
Moderated by Mr Hennadiy Maksak, Executive Director, Foreign Policy Council “Ukrainian Prism”
13:00—13:05 Concluding Remarks
Andrea Raimondi, Director, Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum Secretariat
13:05–14:00 Networking Lunch
In case of any questions, please contact Anastasia Murzanovska at anastasia.murzanovska@eap-csf.eu
The event is kindly hosted by Permanent Representation of the Republic of Poland to the European Union, at Avenue de Cortenbergh 16, and co-organised with the Stefan Batory Foundation and The European Endowment for Democracy (EED)
