The European Union strengthens Ukraine’s digital transformation through EU4DigitalUA: building institutions, skills and trust in digital government

Over the past five years, the European Union, through the EU4DigitalUA project, has been one of the driving forces behind Ukraine’s digital transformation — helping build strong institutions, develop digital skills, and increase citizens’ trust in e-governance. The Foundation for the Internationalisation of Public Administration (FIAP, Spain) has successfully completed three key components of the EU4DigitalUA project: Institutional Strengthening and Capacity Development, Communication and Public Awareness, and Data Protection. Together, they helped reinforce Ukraine’s digital institutions, boost professional skills, raise public awareness of digital reforms, and align data protection with European Union standards.

The results and achievements of the project were discussed at the conference “EU4DigitalUA: 5 Years of Digital Change”, which took place in Kyiv on 30 October 2025 and brought together key partners, stakeholders, and representatives of the European Union and the Government of Ukraine to reflect on lessons learned and the project’s contribution to Ukraine’s digital future.

“We continue to build the most convenient digital state in the world. This is possible thanks to our partners, because the strongest results are born through cooperation. With the support of the European Union, within the framework of the EU4DigitalUA project and together with FIAP, we have implemented dozens of initiatives that have made public services faster and more convenient for millions of Ukrainians — from IT studios on the Diia.Osvita platform to the development of 5G. I am grateful to our partners for their consistent support of digital solutions that improve people’s lives every day,” said Mykhailo Fedorov, First Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine — Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine.

“The European Union is proud to be a long-term partner of Ukraine’s digital transformation. Through EU4DigitalUA, we have strengthened public institutions, enhanced citizens’ digital skills, and increased trust in e-governance — all essential for building an open and secure digital state. Ukraine’s achievements demonstrate the power of partnership and how shared European values and standards can deliver tangible benefits for citizens,” said Asier Santillán Luzuriaga, Head of Section for European Integration, Governance, Rule of Law and Civil Society of the EU Delegation to Ukraine.

Through close cooperation with the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, EU4DigitalUA advanced Ukraine’s digital integration with the EU, helping align national legislation with European standards and contributing to the country’s participation in the Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI).

The project supported strategic reforms, including:

• the launch of the Unified National Informatization System (NPI) to coordinate all national digital projects;
• the development of the ePermit electronic permit system, already used by 25 thousand businesses, and the introduction of Ukraine’s first AI-powered state service for automatic document verification;
• the release of the 700 MHz radio frequency band, paving the way for 5G development;
• the development of the National Semiconductor Strategy and Chips Act UA 

Capacity development was a cornerstone of EU4DigitalUA work. Ukrainian civil servants were trained in digital governance, data protection, and communication through training sessions, study visits to Spain, and workshops. The project prepared two training courses for CDTO Campus, a national educational initiative to train Chief Digital Transformation Officers (CDTOs), and helped develop the programme “Updated Informatics – IT Studios” as part of Diia.Osvita, which modernises the informatics curriculum in Ukrainian schools.

EU4DigitalUA has played a central role in shaping how Ukraine communicates its digital transformation. The project supported the Ministry of Digital Transformation in strengthening its strategic vision and communication with citizens, using research-based insights to ensure that digital reforms are accessible, transparent, and trusted.

The project supported the implementation of more than 15 national awareness campaigns, promoting key digital services such as Diia.Signature, Diia.Integration, uResidency, and e-Entrepreneur, which collectively reached over 34 million citizens. In addition, EU4DigitalUA contributed to the organisation and promotion of three Diia Summits, flagship events that engaged millions of viewers, encouraged the use of new services, and reinforced public trust in Ukraine’s digital ecosystem.

EU4DigitalUA also supported the first Ukrainian Championship in Technological Sports (CTF), facilitated the participation of Ukraine’s National Cyber Team in the European Cybersecurity Challenge, and together with the SSSCIP co-organised an international cybersecurity conference, contributing to the country’s digital resilience.

“Through EU4DigitalUA project, we have witnessed how digital transformation can strengthen public institutions and bring real benefits to citizens. Together with our Ukrainian partners and the European Union, the project has supported the development of digital skills, secure data systems, and trusted e-services that make public administration more efficient and transparent,” said Miguel Ángel Lombardo, FIAP Coordinator of the EU4DigitalUA project. 

In the field of data protection, FIAP supported the development and actively promoted the new Personal Data Protection Law, which aligns Ukrainian legislation with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). As part of the project, expert analysis was carried out on 9 legislative acts for compliance with the EU acquis, along with a comparative review of all relevant Ukrainian legislation against 8 key EU laws. Nine practical guidelines were developed, and, in addition, special recommendations on personal data protection under martial law (in 9 parts) were prepared. More than 750 professionals were trained in cooperation with the Ombudsman’s Office.

EU4DigitalUA also supported the preparation of the educational video series for data protection officers on the Diia.Education platform. The course covers the core topics of personal data protection and provides essential knowledge for serving as a Data Protection Officer (DPO) in Ukraine and the EU. It is the most comprehensive free data protection course available to the public both in Ukraine and across the European Union. 

FIAP strengthened international cooperation by working closely with leading Spanish and European institutions — including CNPIC, CCN, AEPD, and INCIBE — and by organising expert missions and study visits focused on cybersecurity, institutional capacity, and data protection.

Background information: 

EU4DigitalUA is part of the European Union’s support to Ukraine and continues the work of the EGOV4UKRAINE project, implemented in 2016-2021 within the U-LEAD with Europe Programme. With a budget of EUR 20.5 million, EU4DigitalUA is focused on the further development of digital government infrastructure, public e-services, cyber security and data protection. The project is funded by the European Union and jointly implemented by the Foundation for the Internationalisation of Public Administration (FIAP, Spain) and the e-Governance Academy (eGA, Estonia).