Ukraine: Expertise France reaffirms its commitment to support reconstruction and European integration

As the war continues to weigh heavily on Ukrainian society and institutions, reconstruction remains a major challenge for the future of both Ukraine and Europe. Bringing together Ukrainian authorities, international partners and donors, the Ukraine Recovery Conference has become the leading platform for coordinating international support for the country’s recovery.

Jérémie Pellet Expertise France’s CEO, within an AFD Group delegation, was present in Gdańsk, reaffirming Expertise France long-term commitment to Ukraine. By mobilising French public expertise and European resources, the agency supports Ukrainian institutions in strengthening public services, advancing reforms and preparing for European integration.

Expertise France has been working in Ukraine since 2006. Initially focused on justice, health and governance, the agency has gradually expanded its cooperation to support the country’s reform agenda.

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, French technical cooperation has significantly intensified. This momentum led to the opening of Expertise France’s Country Directorate in Ukraine in 2024, marking a new stage in Franco-Ukrainian cooperation.

Today, the agency implements 18 national and regional projects for a total budget of more than €80 million. Among them, the mAIDan programme, funded by the French Ministry for Europe and foreign Affairs, supports Ukraine’s recovery, reconstruction and European integration efforts in areas such as local governance, public finance, social policy and innovation, APPUI Sante funded by the Crisis and Support Center of the Ministry for European and Foreign Affairs, REHAB funded by the French Development Agency, EU PRAVO-Justice, EU4PFM and EU4Reconstruction funded by the EU. 

Through its presence on the field, with nearly 80 people, Expertise France helps address urgent challenges while supporting the country’s long-term development.

For Ukraine, reconstruction goes beyond rebuilding damaged infrastructure. It also requires strengthening institutions and aligning policies and regulations with European standards.

Since obtaining EU candidate status in 2022, Ukraine has continued to pursue an ambitious reform agenda despite the challenges of war. Expertise France contributes to this effort across several strategic sectors. 

In healthcare, the APPUI and REHAB projects supports access to essential health services in partnership with the Ukrainian and French Ministries of Health. In this context, Expertise France mobilize French expertise in support to the Ukrainian healthcare system with hospital cooperations and implementing partners, along with the reconstruction of medical infrastructures and donation of equipment. Among its partners, the Health program support the NGO Superhumans War Trauma Center by financing the construction of a new center in Odesa and capacity-building activities in Maxillo-facial surgery, physical and rehabilitation medicine and biomedical engineering. Through L’Initiative, the agency also helps maintain the fight against HIV and tuberculosis and ensures continuity of care for vulnerable populations.

Supporting institutional reforms is another key pillar of Expertise France’s work. Through the EU-funded Pravo-Justice project, the agency contributes to strengthening the rule of law, modernising the justice system and aligning Ukrainian legislation with European standards. At the same time, EU4Innovation East supports the development of Ukraine’s start-up ecosystem and innovation sector, helping foster resilient and future-oriented economic growth.

By combining French expertise, European funding and peer-to-peer cooperation, Expertise France helps strengthen Ukraine’s resilience while supporting its path towards EU membership.

The Ukraine Recovery Conference provides an important opportunity to deepen existing partnerships and launch new initiatives in support of Ukraine’s recovery. Throughout the event, the AFD delegation has engaged with Ukrainian partners, European institutions and international donors to identify new areas of cooperation and respond to evolving needs on the ground. 

The conference was the occasion to announce several new initiatives aiming at strengthening support to Ukrainian institutions:

Mr. Pellet took part in the signing ceremony for the contribution agreement for the EU4SOEs project. This programme, funded by the EU and France through the mAIDan Facility, the project aims at assisting the Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture and the State Property Fund in aligning the management of state owned companies with European legislation and international standards..   

The CEO also signed a memorandum of understanding between Expertise France and the Ukrainian Ministry of Veterans’ Affairs, formalising the partnership aimed to reinforce recovery and reintegration programs, as well as developing the national network of Veterans’ Spaces, as part of the dedicated project.

Finally, several announcements were made in conjunction with the Ministry of Health as part of the APPUI and REHAB projects of the Health program:

-  The creation of a comprehensive training programme for Ukrainian hospital directors, in partnership with the École des hautes études en santé publique (EHESP);

-  The deployment of surgical missions and a training programme for Ukrainian maxillofacial surgeons, in collaboration with four French university hospitals and four Ukrainian hospitals, including the Superhumans Center;

-  Training Ukrainian engineers in biomedical 3D printing and strengthening hospital capacity, in partnership with ENSAM Paris and the AP-HP, via the PRIM3D platform;

-  The creation of an inter-hospital and inter-university 3D printing platform for prostheses and orthoses.