The study visit was part of a cooperation project between the Estonian Center for International Development (ESTDEV), the University of Tartu, the Secretariat of Ministers of Ukraine and the European Commission's TAIEX* program. The project aims to support Ukraine's integration with the EU through a training program for civil servants.

Ukraine is currently involved in complex negotiations for EU accession. Eva-Maria Liimets, ESDTEV's program manager for democracy and rule of law, said that joining the EU requires the adoption of legislation as well as making other reforms, all of which are processes that Estonia has already been through.

"Sharing Estonia's achievements and lessons learned provides Ukraine with practical, reliable support," said Liimets.

Numerous topics were covered during the study visit including the competencies of EU institutions and member states, their distribution and mutual relations.

The students also got to grips with the role of the institutions within the decision-making process, the opportunities available to candidate countries during accession negotiations, and what is expected of a candidate country throughout the integration process.

According to Liimets, the training program also featured a focus on Estonia's unique negotiation experiences and the views of EU member states regarding the negotiation process.

"Last year, over 90 senior officials participated; this year, over 70 officials participated. We hope that the officials who completed the five-day training will take home additional knowledge on how to contribute to EU negotiations in their own fields and help Ukraine implement the necessary reforms," said Liimets.

Liimets said the second-year EU integration study programs have been a good opportunity to build new networks between Estonian and Ukrainian institutions. For example, one of the first study visits resulted in a long-term cooperation project to promote the rehabilitation of Ukrainians affected by Russia's war of aggression.

The Ukrainian civil servants participating in the project's training program were also introduced to new approaches to fighting corruption and money laundering as well as strengthening press freedom. Officials additionally discussed agriculture and fisheries reform.

*TAIEX (Technical Assistance and Information Exchange) is an instrument of the European Commission that supports public-sector institutions in harmonizing, applying, and enforcing EU legislation and mediates the sharing of best practices in EU Member States.

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