SCIENTIFIC REPORT ON UKRAINE’S EUROPEAN INTEGRATION
On 4 June, at a meeting of the Academic Council, a presentation was delivered by the Leading Research Fellow of the Department of Political Institutions and Processes, Doctor of Political Sciences Tetyana Lyashenko, titled “Civil and Social Dialogue as a Factor in Ukraine’s European Integration”.
The relevance of the topic is determined by the need for Ukraine to fulfil the requirements of the negotiation process for accession to the European Union, in particular regarding the institutionalisation of effective social partnership and structured civil dialogue, which are key prerequisites for successful European integration.
The presentation revealed the conceptual differences between civil and social dialogue, their place in the European model of governance, and their role in forming democratic mechanisms for citizens’ participation in the development of state policy.
M. Lyashenko presented a comparative analysis of key indicators of civil society development and institutional capacity in Ukraine and the European Union. She also characterised the main challenges in the areas of the rule of law, corruption control, regulatory quality, and the independence of the judiciary. Particular attention was paid to the activities of the National Tripartite Socio-Economic Council, the development of digital tools for citizen participation, the functioning of public councils and mechanisms for public consultations, as well as an assessment of their compliance with European standards of social partnership.
During the speech, issues of public trust in the main participants of social dialogue — the state, trade unions, employers, and civil society — were examined. It was emphasised that trust is an important institutional resource on which the effectiveness of social partnership and the implementation of European principles of governance largely depend.
In conclusion, the speaker noted that civil society has become one of the key factors in Ukraine’s resilience in wartime conditions and an important partner of the state in the process of implementing European integration reforms. At the same time, Ukraine’s further progress towards EU membership requires strengthening the institutional capacity of the state, developing a culture of social partnership, and ensuring the real influence of civil and social dialogue on the formation of state policy.