EBA Report Barriers to Investment in Ukraine
http://www.eba.com.ua

The European Business Association continuously analyses problems faced by foreign and Ukrainian investors in their day-to-day business activities in Ukraine. For many years, Barriers to Investment in Ukraine has been a part of our ongoing efforts to present suggestions to the Ukrainian authorities for improving the investment climate in Ukraine. 

The aim of this Report is not to provide a general analyzis of the investment climate in Ukraine, but rather to present a systematized list of specific problems and issues, which create obstacles to operations of Ukrainian and foreign companies alike. Most importantly, it provides the collective vision of the EBA members on the solutions that could be adopted and, in most cases, it contains specific proposals for amending Ukrainian legislation to resolve the issues identified.  We would like to emphasize that Barriers to Investment in Ukraine has always been one of the major EBA arguments in the dialogue with the Ukrainian authorities, and has contributed immensely to making the EBA’s voice in protecting interests of the EBA community much stronger. 

Each of five editions of this Report (2001, 2004, 2005 and 2006, 2007) reflected the unresolved problems that have hindered investors’ activities in Ukraine and, therefore, have influenced Ukraine’s investment attractiveness as a whole. Each subsequent edition of the Report also included new problems that had emerged since the previous edition, as well as information on positive changes in Ukrainian legislation. 

The 2007 edition of Barriers to Investment in Ukraine was substantially updated. In addition, this issue’s analytical sections present a new chapter on franchising, and a new section devoted to copyright protection. Also, this edition highlights problems concerning division of control responsibilities in food products safety, and pays special attention to emission reduction trade problems in Ukraine related to the Kyoto protocol. We sincerely believe that the EBA elaborations that are outlined in 2007 year edition will be used by government authorities of both Ukraine and the European Union to provide the basis for negotiation of a deep and comprehensive EU-Ukraine free-trade agreement. In fact, this very issue was prepared prior to the EU-Ukraine Summit scheduled for September 2007.

All editions of Barriers to Investment in Ukraine become working documents for the President of Ukraine, the Cabinet of Ministers and the Parliament, as well as for the European Commission and its Delegation to Ukraine and Belarus. Presented materials and their high importance for governmental officials immensely reinforce the voice of the Association in advocating members` interests. This Report has always been and remains one of the main instruments that the EBA uses in its dialogue with the Ukrainian Government.

We would like to extend our gratitude to the President, the Government and the Parliament of Ukraine for their attention to “Barriers to Investment in Ukraine”, and to reassure them of our readiness for further cooperation in solving  investors’ problems on the way to improving the investment climate in Ukraine.

The latest edition of the EBA Report "Barriers to Investment in Ukraine" has been finalized in August 2007.

[click here to read full report in English]