Ukraine

Advancing marine environmental protection despite challenging circumstances

Ukraine continues to make strong progress in strengthening its marine environmental framework. Project experts completed the legal assessment supporting the update of the National Marine Environmental Strategy, prepared draft revisions aligned with EU legislation and developed recommendations for future monitoring of marine waters.

National Workshop 

A major milestone was the National Workshop, held on 23 July 2026, which brought together representatives from the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine, national experts, scientific institutions and technical partners to review and validate the draft recommendations. The discussions provided valuable technical feedback on marine monitoring methodologies, environmental indicators, pollution assessment, transport policy and alignment with EU environmental legislation. Participants also agreed on key follow-up actions to strengthen marine environmental governance, with the workshop outcomes now being incorporated into the project's final policy recommendations. 

Field Visits

Following the workshop, project experts conducted technical visits to two environmental laboratories in Odesa to better understand Ukraine's existing monitoring capacities and identify opportunities for strengthening marine pollution monitoring. Visits were held at the Ukrainian Scientific Center of Ecology of the Sea (UkrSCES) and the Black Sea Basin Water Resources Authority (BUVR), where experts exchanged knowledge with laboratory staff, reviewed existing monitoring practices and explored how technical capacities can support the implementation of the updated Marine Environmental Strategy and future investment recommendations. These visits provided valuable practical insights that complement the policy recommendations developed under the project.