This online workshop was organized by United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) within the framework of the EU4Environment programme. The Action is funded by the European Union and implemented in the period 2019-2022. Under EU4Environment’s component on “circular economy and new growth opportunities”, UNEP will support countries to develop and implement Sustainable Public Procurement (SPP) policies and eco-labelling. This will be achieved through the provision of technical assistance, advisory services and capacity development/training to policymakers, procurement practitioners, businesses and business associations, as well as NGOs and other stakeholders. The workshop was organized in partnership with the Ministry of Ecology and Environmental Protection of Ukraine and the Ministry of Economic Development, Trade and Agriculture of Ukraine and the NGO Living Planet.

Aims of the workshop

The workshop aimed at i) presenting UNEP’s approach on SPP and eco-labelling; ii) presenting and discussing the findings of the analysis on the status of implementation of SPP and eco-labelling in Ukraine; and iii) discussing next steps on SPP and eco-labelling in the framework of EU4Environment in Ukraine. The online workshop was delivered in two sessions: the first session focused on the sustainable public procurement approaches, practices and progress in Ukraine, while the second session of the workshop was dedicated to the topic of eco-labelling.

Participants

Over fifty participants (72 registered: 16 men and 56 women) attended this online workshop including the representatives from the Ministry of Ecology and Environmental Protection of Ukraine, Ministry of Economic Development, Trade and Agriculture of Ukraine (including ProZorro team), the Delegation of the European Union to Ukraine, other national stakeholders, civil society, NGOs and international organizations.

Presentations made

During the online workshop, the following presentations were made:

• Mr. Farid Yaker, UN Environment Programme: UNEP's approach to sustainable public procurement and the results of the EaP GREEN project;
• Ms. Svitlana Berzina, NGO Living Planet: Findings of the Analytical Report on Progress of SPP implementation in Ukraine 2017-2019;
• Ms. Rie Tsutsumi, UN Environment Programme: Promotion of Sustainable Public Procurement (SPP) and eco-labelling in Ukraine: Next steps in the framework of EU4Environment programme;
• Ms. Beatriz Martins Carneiro, UN Environment Programme: Eco-labelling: UNEP Approach and Experiences in Developing Countries;
• Ms. Svitlana Berzina, NGO Living Planet: Findings of the Analytical Report of the Eco-labelling Practices in Ukraine;
• Ms. Lesya Nikolayeva, UN Environment Programme: Next steps on eco-labelling in the framework of EU4Environment programme in Ukraine.

Additional Information

The workshop was held using the Interprefy online platform. Simultaneous translation in English and Ukrainian was provided to the participants. The recording of the workshop is available at www.web.tresorit.com (password: yb2Ea2ZV2w).

SESSION 1: Sustainable Public Procurement (SPP)

Item 1. Welcoming remarks

The workshop was opened by Ms. Lesya Nikolayeva from the UNEP Europe Office who provided welcoming remarks to the participants and briefly outlined the purpose of the EU4Environment Programme and the aims of the workshop. Ms. Iryna Stavchuk, the Deputy Minister of Ecology and Environmental Protection of Ukraine, welcomed the delegates and thanked the national and international partners in supporting the Ministry’s efforts in implementing activities under the EU4Environment Programme and the country’s efforts on greening the economy. Ms. Nataliia Shymko, the Deputy Director of the Department of Regulatory Policy and Entrepreneurship of the Ministry of Economic Development, Trade and Agriculture of Ukraine, thanked the organizers of the workshop and highlighted the importance for the Ministry to support small and medium-size businesses during the difficult times of crisis and the importance of finding new ways for the enterprises for selling their products in the market, with one of the opportunities being their participation in public procurement. M. Daniel Kramer, Deputy Chief of the Trade Department from the EU Delegation to Ukraine highlighted the importance of SPP and eco-labelling implementation in Ukraine in the context of the country’s signing the Association agreement with the EU.

Item 2. UNEP’s approach to SPP

Mr. Farid Yaker, UN Environment Programme, made a presentation on the UNEP's approach to sustainable public procurement and the results of the EU-funded EaP GREEN project.

The presentation was followed by a question from a workshop participant with regard to the process of prioritization of the goods that will be covered by the green procurement criteria. The question was addressed to the Ministry of Economic Development, Trade and Agriculture of Ukraine as to the optimum number of products categories that the Ministry envisaged to prioritize. In response, a representative of the Ministry’s Reform team highlighted that it had taken a pragmatic approach to prioritization and that relevant analysis of the numbers of the categories had also been conducted by the Ministry. For example, the Ministry first focused on the top 100 most expensive categories on the basis of which the criteria would be then further developed.

Item 3. Status of SPP implementation in Ukraine

Ms. Svitlana Berzina from NGO the Living Planet made her first presentation in which she outlined the findings of the Analytical Report on Progress of SPP implementation in Ukraine in 2017-2019. The presentation highlighted the amendments to the Law of Ukraine “On Public Procurement”; development of the criterion base for SPP; analysis and evaluation of the SPP monitoring system; current application of SPP criteria in Ukraine; training in the field of SPP and professionalization of public procurement; and provided recommendations on the next steps in SPP promotion and application in Ukraine.

Item 4. Next steps on SPP in the framework of EU4Environment programme

Ms. Rie Tsutsumi, UN Environment Programme, presented possible ways of promoting SPP in Ukraine and the next steps in the framework of EU4Environment programme, including activities on policy development for SPP and pilots and capacity development, such as:

• Support the development of the governmental procedure for establishing SPP criteria;
• Possible assistance to integrate SPP criteria to ProZorro system;
• Identification of products groups to develop sustainable criteria (with WB, GIZ, etc);
• Development of sustainability criteria for product groups;
• Assist in launching new pilot tenders and assessing the results;
• Support the establishment and functioning of monitoring mechanisms;
• Update training modules on SPP;
• Integration of the training module into the Procurement Professionalization Program;
• Training workshops targeting contracting authorities & procurers (national and local authorities);
• Capacity development for businesses (SMEs) to respond to public tenders with new sustainability criteria;
• Develop and disseminate communication materials and information on SPP.

One question was raised by a participant with regard to the availability of continuing support for the SPP implementation in Ukraine as there was a need for a comprehensive effort to ensure stable and continuous support from different organizations in order to ensure effective implementation for SPP due to it being a multi-year project. UNEP noted the issue raised and advised that it would prepare a document (concept note on SPP in Ukraine) based on the discussions and issues raised during this workshop and would continue further discussions with the representatives of the key national stakeholders to build its working synergies further which then could be used in practice.

SESSION 2: Eco-labelling

Item 1. UNEP’s approach to eco-labelling

Ms. Beatriz Martins Carneiro, UN Environment Programme, presented the UNEP approach to eco-labelling and experiences in supporting eco-labelling actions in developing countries, giving examples of the role of eco-labelling for sustainable tourism in Morocco, forest coffee sector in Ethiopia, and outlining overall enabling mechanisms in developing countries to seize eco-label opportunities.

Item 2. Status of eco-labelling use in Ukraine

Ms. Svitlana Berzina from NGO the Living Planet made her second presentation on eco-labelling practices in Ukraine. It included an overview of the eco-labels available on the Ukrainian market; eco-labelling practices in public procurement; facilitators and barriers in the use of eco-labels in public procurement; and recommendations on the next steps in eco-labelling promotion and application in Ukraine. There are two Ukrainian eco-labels: Green Crane and Green Star. Other eco-labelling programs with international recognition, most widely used in Ukraine, include: Blue Angel, Ecolabel EU, Green Seal, The Nordic Swan, TCO Certified, Energy Star, FSC, PEFC, Oeko-Tex Standard etc.

Item 3. Next steps on eco-labelling in the framework of EU4Environment programme

Ms. Lesya Nikolayeva, UN Environment Programme presented to the delegates the suggested next steps on eco-labelling in the framework of EU4Environment programme in Ukraine. Under the Activity 2.3.2: Capacity development of business sectors to respond public tenders and access to eco-labelling, these included:

• Support the update of the regulatory framework;
• Update and revision of ecolabel criteria taking into account the requirements of SPP criteria;
• Development of guidance for the application of eco-labeling for public procurers, consumers and companies;
• Develop communication material based on the guidance and assessment study;
• Conduct training to public procurers and companies on eco-labelling.

Final remarks and closure of the workshop

The workshop host reminded that all progress reports on SPP and eco-labelling in Ukraine presented during the workshop had already been disseminated to the delegates for their further comments and additions (to be sent by email to lesya.nikolayeva@un.org). The workshop’s Chair thanked the delegates for their active participation in the workshop and reiterated the importance of ongoing co-operation between UNEP, the national stakeholders and other international organizations that work in the field of SPP and eco-labelling in Ukraine in supporting the implementation of activities under newly amended Law on Public Procurement through different programmes of technical support, including through the EU-funded EU4Environment Programme.

Download:

ANALYTICAL REPORT ON PROGRESS OF IMPLEMENTATION OF SUSTAINABLE PUBLIC PROCUREMENT IN UKRAINE IN 2017-2019

ANALYTICAL REPORT OF THE ECOLABELLING PRACTICES IN UKRAINE