CASE at EEC 2023

Ukraine - war, support, reconstruction On April 24, at the European Economic Congress, a session entitled "Ukraine - war, support, reconstruction". Among the guests was Dmytro Boyarchuk, Executive Director of CASE Ukraine. The panel was opened by Johannes Hahn, European Commissioner for Budget and Administration. He confirmed Europe's support for Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression. The speech was then delivered by the former President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko. He stressed that talks on reconstruction and reconstruction should start only after Ukraine's victory. He reminded that Ukraine still needs a significant amount of weapons and ammunition.

During the discussion, Dmytro Boyarchuk presented the most important conclusions from the report "Economic priorities for post-war Ukraine" published in February. He stressed that the Ukrainian authorities should be encouraged to accelerate reforms of the judiciary and law enforcement agencies, with progress in establishing the rule of law directly linked to the financing of post-war reconstruction. In addition, he stressed the importance of simplifying procedures in all areas of economic life. Boyarchuk pointed out that complex legislation can lead to different interpretations by business and state representatives, which often causes disputes that require the intervention of the judiciary. In a country where the rule of law is still evolving, there is a need to limit the instances where government officials and business may have different perspectives on the same situation. Securing the relationship between the state and foreign private investors will be another key aspect of post-war reconstruction. Especially in the course of judicial and law enforcement reforms. Foreign investors require not only protection against military threats, for which the World Bank has already developed instruments, but also protection against the unpredictable actions of government officials and law enforcement agencies in an environment with a suboptimal rule of law.

On the same day, there was also a discussion on "The construction sector and reconstruction of Ukraine". The panel discussed how Polish companies can prepare for the possible reconstruction of Ukraine. The speakers shared their experiences of doing business in Ukraine and agreed on the need to unite efforts and cooperate with International Financial Institutions (IFIs) to secure their investments. The speakers suggested that investors should not wait until the end of the war, as there is a high risk that a decisive victory over Russia may never come. A prolonged, seething conflict is more likely to continue.

Dmytro Boyarchuk drew attention to the various risks associated with the post-war period, including unrealistic expectations from both the Ukrainian authorities - regarding the unconditional transfer of confiscated Russian assets to Ukraine - and European leaders, who assume further successful reforms, especially in the establishment of the rule of law. Dmytro Boyarchuk warned that these unrealistic expectations could lead to significant disappointment in the future. He urged Western leaders to adapt their messages to Ukrainian leaders, explaining that the rules of cooperation would change after the war. He also encouraged Ukrainian leaders to start implementing reforms right now.