Development of Ukraine's new Subsoil Code and support to the EU–Ukraine relationship in the area of Critical Raw Materials
A consortium led by Projekt-Consult GmbH began in 2019 to support the implementation of reforms in Ukraine’s subsoil use sector by harmonizing and improving Ukraine’s subsoil legislation in line with the best practices of the EU Member States and where relevant, in line with the EU acquis. To this end, the existing legislation was reviewed, and comprehensive recommendations for a new legal framework were developed for the Ukrainian institutions regulating the national subsoil sector. The project’s original scope, which was broad, covered policy, legal, governance, and awareness issues relating to the various segments of the subsoil use, and consisted of four components:
- Setting main policy areas for the development of the subsoil use sector;
- Setting a proper legal framework for the subsoil use sector;
- Improving governance and regulatory functions of the sector;
- Raising awareness.
At the end of 2020, the Prime Minister of Ukraine and the Vice-President of the European Commission decided to intensify cooperation in the field of critical raw materials and to build a strategic partnership between the EU and Ukraine. The strategic partnership with Ukraine aimed to include activities along the entire value chain of both primary and secondary critical raw materials and batteries. It also helped diversify, strengthen, and secure both sides’ supply of critical raw materials, essential for achieving the green and digital transitions, in line with the objectives of the EU’s Critical Raw Materials Action Plan. The partnership also encouraged closer collaboration in research and innovation along both raw materials and battery value chains.
As a consequence, the project was extended to strengthen the EU-Ukraine relationship in the area of critical raw materials and to reflect the Project Partner’s priority needs for reform of the State Geological Service (SGSSU). The main outputs produced under this extended scope of works were:
- Analysis of Main Barriers and Perceived Risks for Investment in the Ukrainian Raw Materials Resources Sector
- Definition of criteria for a CRM methodology in Ukraine
- Assessing Ukraine’s compliance as a candidate country and ESG requirements in the subsoil sector;
- Conducting a study to obtain an overview of advanced battery technologies in Ukraine
- Review of CRM potential in the extraction of co-products in Ukraine
