The introduction of international standards in the field of defence procurement is one of the key tasks of Ukraine’s Euro-Atlantic integration. The National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP) continues its work on implementing NATO’s recommendations provided within the framework of the Strategic Review of Ukraine’s Defense Procurement System.
Recently, the National Agency hosted another meeting of the Coordination Group for the implementation of these recommendations. The event was attended by representatives of the NACP, the Secretariat of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, the Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine, the Security Service of Ukraine, as well as NATO Headquarters, the NATO Representation to Ukraine, and the Centre for Integrity in the Defence Sector (CIDS) under the Ministry of Defence of the Kingdom of Norway.
“To define unified approaches during the implementation of the recommendations of the Strategic Review, it is necessary to ensure proper synchronisation of the efforts of all involved state authorities and international partners. This is precisely what the Coordination Group aims to achieve, as its members work together to bring Ukraine’s defence procurement in line with the best international standards and practices,” stated Viktor Pavlushchyk, Head of the NACP.
The meeting participants discussed the steps taken in this direction, agreed on ways for further cooperation, and identified priority projects. In particular, Artem Romaniukov, Director of the Procurement Policy Directorate of the Ministry of Defense, spoke about successful cases of competitive procurement recently conducted for certain types of ammunition, which allowed for significant savings and enabled the redirection of the saved funds toward the purchase of an even greater number of shells. At the same time, part of the processes in defence procurement is not yet fully digitalised, and the formulation of procurement needs is poorly coordinated among different structures, which contributes to corrupt practices.
“Our key tasks are the implementation of data-driven procurement, digitalisation, transparency and accountability, and the fight against monopolies. The global objective is to introduce competitive bidding procedures and transition all defence procurement to an electronic tendering system,” emphasised Artem Romaniukov.
Pavel Bucek, representative of NATO Headquarters, noted the tangible steps taken within the implementation process of the Strategic Review, in particular the introduction of tools for interagency cooperation and coordination with international partners. Iryna Novakova, Team Leader of the NATO Comprehensive Assistance Package (CAP) for Ukraine, underlined the Alliance’s readiness to fully assist and support Ukraine in achieving the outcomes of key reforms, including through NATO-supported projects.
“Ensuring a unified approach that takes into account the positions of all stakeholders in implementing the recommendations of the Strategic Review will allow for a comprehensive method to this process. At the same time, sustained interaction with international partners facilitates the development of a common approach to fulfilling Ukraine’s Euro-Atlantic commitments regarding the reform of Ukraine’s defence procurement system,” noted Marta Ivashkiv, Head of the Security and Defense Integrity Policy-Making Department of the NACP.
Reference: The Strategic Review of Ukraine’s Defence Procurement System is one of the flagship projects within the NATO Comprehensive Assistance Package for Ukraine, developed by Ukrainian experts in cooperation with experts from NATO member states. The document was approved at the Washington Summit in July 2024. The purpose of the Strategic Review is to align Ukraine’s defence procurement with best Euro-Atlantic practices and to foster enhanced cooperation between NATO and Ukraine in defence procurement to increase interoperability.
By Decree of the President of Ukraine, the NACP has been designated as the National Coordinator for Ukraine’s Cooperation with NATO in the Field of Building Integrity.
