For the full implementation of lobbying legislation at the local level, Ukraine needs unified practical rules for interaction between lobbyists, deputies and officials, as well as a clear distinction between lobbying, advocacy and the representation of private interests, experts believe.
As Vitaliia Hloba, a representative of the National Association of Lobbyists of Ukraine, reported, the association has prepared a roadmap for interaction between lobbyists and local self-government bodies and intends to send recommendations to regional councils.
“A lobbyist must openly identify themselves, the client or beneficiary, clearly define the subject of lobbying and act exclusively within the law. At the same time, deputies and officials must understand how to properly record contacts, verify the status of a lobbyist and prevent the risks of unlawful influence. It is precisely such a clear procedure that should become the basis for professional dialogue between business, the community and the authorities,” Hloba emphasized at a press conference at the Interfax-Ukraine agency on Wednesday.
In turn, expert and Kyiv City Council deputy Volodymyr Bondarenko noted that the law on lobbying created a general framework for transparent interaction between business and the authorities, but left a number of gaps that are particularly noticeable at the local level. According to him, one of the key problems concerns the definition of the object of lobbying, since the relevant law refers to the law on law-making activity, which has not yet fully entered into force.
“The law created a framework for regulation, but at the same time did not provide sufficiently clear rules of operation, particularly at the level of local self-government bodies, where today we feel the greatest number of gaps. These issues cannot be resolved solely through clarifications by the NACP, which do not have the force of law and cannot change legislative provisions. The relevant gaps must be eliminated directly at the legislative level,” Bondarenko emphasized.
He also drew attention to the problems of distinguishing between commercial and public interest, lobbying and advocacy, which, in his opinion, should be more clearly regulated by law.
Lawyer, lobbyist, head of the A.Dva.Ka.T Law Association and member of the Lobbying Committee of the Ukrainian National Bar Association Yaroslav Kuts presented a step-by-step algorithm for interaction between a lobbyist and a local council.
According to him, the procedure should consist of seven stages: verification of the lobbyist’s status, their identification, initial contact, submission of analytical justification, preliminary assessment of proposals, completion of council procedures and monitoring of results.
“Any contact must begin with identification. A lobbyist must state that they are a lobbyist, whom they represent, in whose interests they act, which regulatory legal act is the subject of lobbying and in what format the interaction is expected to take place. After that, the official or deputy can verify their status in the Transparency Register and continue communication on that basis,” Kuts explained.
He emphasized that not every appeal by a citizen or business representative to local authorities constitutes lobbying.
“There is no need for a local council employee to report a lobbying meeting after every appeal by a resident requesting the allocation or privatization of a land plot. The subject of lobbying is a regulatory legal act, meaning rules that are applied repeatedly and to an indefinite number of persons. It is precisely this distinction that should be fundamental for the practical application of the law,” Kuts emphasized.
Vice President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Ukraine Ivan Fursenko noted that the new rules should move relations between lobbyists and local authorities from an informal model to an open procedure in which each side understands its rights, duties and responsibilities.
“We are moving from an informal model of communication to a model in which each side knows its rights, its duties and its own responsibility. The law does not restrict a lobbyist’s right to convey the client’s position, but merely makes this process open, transparent and understandable. Likewise, it protects a deputy, who no longer has to guess whose interests exactly their interlocutor represents,” Fursenko noted.
“Many people are concerned that any meeting with the public or business will now become a problem, but that is not the case. The law does not prohibit communication; it only requires transparency. If a deputy follows the established procedure, recording the contact protects the deputy themselves from accusations of hidden influence,” Fursenko emphasized.
Member of the Ethics Council of the National Association of Lobbyists of Ukraine and Sumy Regional Council deputy Vadym Vashchenko stated that transparency of lobbying contacts is particularly important at the local level, since communities make decisions regarding infrastructure, entrepreneurship, jobs, investment projects and reconstruction.
“A local council should be not only a body that makes decisions, but also an open platform for professional dialogue between the community, business, investors and the expert community. When every meeting is recorded and it is clear who represents the interests, what issue is being discussed and what result is expected, a deputy or official can work openly and without the risk of accusations of hidden influence. This is protection both for business and for local self-government bodies,” Vashchenko said.
According to him, after the end of the war, communities themselves will become the main centres for attracting investment and donor assistance, and therefore the quality and transparency of procedures will directly affect businesses’ willingness to invest funds.
“Transparency today is a factor of investment attractiveness. Communities that are the first to introduce modern standards of open interaction will gain an advantage in working with investors, donors and international organisations. A strong community is not one where there is no lobbying, but one where lobbying is open, lawful and works in the interests of the community’s development,” Vashchenko emphasized.
Lobbyist and member of the Ethics Council of the National Association of Lobbyists of Ukraine Violetta Sukhanova noted that the roadmap should provide deputies and officials with a simple algorithm of actions in the event of contact with a lobbyist.
“There is no need to be afraid of communicating with a registered lobbyist – the law has legalised such interaction, and the fact of a meeting itself is not a violation. It is important that it take place openly, transparently and within the law. If a deputy has not received answers to the questions of who approached them, whom that person represents and which regulatory legal act is the subject of lobbying, they have the right to suspend such interaction until all the circumstances are clarified,” Sukhanova explained.
She emphasized that, for interaction to be defined as lobbying, three elements must be present simultaneously: a registered lobbying entity, a specific regulatory legal act as the subject of lobbying, and a commercial interest.
“Public hearings, electronic petitions, citizens’ appeals, the protection of one’s own rights or participation in open consultations are not in themselves lobbying. Likewise, a professional meeting with a registered lobbyist is not in itself subject to separate declaration. The task of the roadmap is to enable a deputy, within a few minutes, to understand who has approached them, whether this interaction is lawful and how to act correctly from that point onward,” Sukhanova noted.
Lobbyist and member of the Council of Entrepreneurs under the Sumy City Council Valeriia Holovanova presented practical recommendations on maintaining a contact log and meeting minutes.
“A contact log is not a bureaucratic formality, but one of the levels of protection for a deputy. It should record the date and format of the meeting, the status of the person, the client or beneficiary, the specific subject of discussion and the list of materials transferred. At the same time, there should be no evaluative judgments whatsoever — only facts confirming that the contact took place,” Holovanova said.
According to her, the meeting minutes should contain the arguments of the lobbying side, the deputy’s position and information about the materials transferred and the agreements reached.
“If materials were transferred or specific commitments were undertaken, this must be recorded. If no specific commitments were made, this should also be stated directly in order to avoid future speculation about who allegedly promised what. A unified practice across all local, district and regional councils will make such interaction clearer both for deputies and for lobbyists,” Holovanova emphasized.
Summing up the discussion, Bondarenko noted that the legalisation of lobbying is an important element of Ukraine’s European integration, but the regulatory framework will continue to develop.
“It is impossible to solve all problems in nine months of practical application of the law. The culture of regulatory oversight of lobbying in Europe was formed over decades, so the Ukrainian legislative framework will also continue to develop. The main thing now is not to be afraid to apply the law, while at the same time clearly taking into account the restrictions it provides for and working to eliminate the gaps,” Bondarenko concluded.
Representatives of the National Association of Lobbyists of Ukraine also reported that the roadmap would be published on the organisation’s website and sent to regional councils for use in their work.
HLOBA, HOLOVANOVA, Kuts, LOBBYING, lobbyists, SUKHANOVA, VASHCHENKO, БОНДАРЕНКО, Фурсенко
The NACP’s anti-corruption strategy for 2026-2030 needs more open discussion and transparent coordination with the public, according to Yana Tsymbalenko, anti-corruption commissioner of the National Association of Lobbyists of Ukraine and member of the Board of Trustees.
“The formation of the Anti-Corruption Strategy for 2026-2030 is a process that should be as open as possible, as it concerns the rules that determine the ethical behavior of officials, the prevention of conflicts of interest, and the standards of transparency of the state. However, analysis of the available information shows us that the public discussion of section 1.5 of the Anti-Corruption Strategy took place with numerous violations of the principles of openness and accountability,” she told Interfax-Ukraine.
Cymbalenko noted that despite the publication of the text of the strategy prepared by the NACP, “there is no evidence of full and high-quality consultations, which calls into question the legitimacy of the entire process.”
“In particular, there are no reports on the results of the discussion, no register of proposals from the public has been submitted, and updated versions of the document based on possible comments have not been published. The absence of any records or recordings of the discussion contradicts the general standards of transparency that the state declares,” she said.
The expert recalled that the “Schedule of Public Discussions” is publicly available, according to which the meeting allegedly took place on October 24, 2025. However, according to her, there were no official announcements of this event, the circle of invited stakeholders was not determined, the lists of participants or experts were not published, and it is not known who exactly prepared the materials for discussion.
“It is particularly telling that, despite the name of the division, lobbying issues were not discussed at all. This raises additional doubts about the quality and completeness of the consultations, as well as the compliance of the process with the requirements of the legislation on the formation of state anti-corruption policy,” she said, noting that the presentation of key developments was entrusted exclusively to representatives of the NACP without the involvement of independent experts, representatives of professional communities, or the public.
“The presentation focused mainly on technical aspects, while the key part concerning the regulation of lobbying in the program is completely absent. None of the speakers were presented as experts on lobbying, and the relevant topics were not included in the content of the presentations. This means that one of the most sensitive and controversial topics of the future Anti-Corruption Strategy was not even brought up for public discussion,” she said.
According to Tsymbalenko, “the event (presentation of the strategy – IF-U) looked more like a short internal presentation of the NACP’s position than a full-fledged consultation as required by the principles of transparent rule-making.”
“The NACP’s disregard for proposals from professional associations specializing in lobbying is also unacceptable. In particular, the National Association of Lobbyists of Ukraine (NALU) has repeatedly approached the NACP with a proposal to work together on establishing a lobbying institution in the country. The lack of any response from the NACP not only demonstrates disregard for the interests of the professional community, but also poses a serious reputational risk for an agency that declares openness, accountability, and integrity,” said Tsymbalenko.
“In modern democratic practices, lobbying is seen as a tool for preventing political corruption. It allows influence on government decisions to be brought out of the shadows and ensures its transparency and accountability. Combining this topic with unrelated blocks creates the risk of its simplified interpretation or a formal approach to important issues, which may devalue the potential of lobbying as a mechanism for the state’s anti-corruption capacity,” she said.
A new educational center, the Higher School of Lobbying, a structural subdivision of the National Association of Lobbyists of Ukraine, has opened in the capital. The project’s mission is to form a professional community of lobbyists in the country in accordance with EU, US, and UK standards. The premiere took place at the Hyatt Regency Kyiv, bringing together over 100 participants, including about 50 members of parliament, diplomats, representatives of international business, and academia.
A special feature of the launch is the participation of practicing lobbyists from the US and the UK, who will conduct classes together with Ukrainian experts. The program is designed as a practical track for working in the EU and US markets.
Project director Oleksiy Shevchuk said: “Lobbying is about transparent rules, competition of ideas, and investment. We are launching a school that provides tools for legal influence and open dialogue with the authorities. Our graduates must be equally confident in defending their clients’ positions in Kyiv, Brussels, and Washington, relying on facts, ethics, and compliance.”
The professional principles of the new school are:
1) Legality and transparency — working only within the public legal field, with a clear mandate and client disclosure
2) Ethics — prevention of conflicts of interest, internal compliance, and codes of conduct
3) Expertise — analytics, data, impact assessment, proposals for regulation
4) Equal access — inclusion of business, NGOs, and regions in dialogue with the state
5) Measurability — goals, KPIs, and reporting on advocacy results
Recruitment for the first cohort has begun. International mentors, workshops on preparing position papers for EU and US institutions, and analysis of real-life cases of interaction with regulators have been announced. The organizers emphasize that the school is results-oriented — graduates should bring new partnerships, investments, and sustainable changes to the rules of the game to the economy.
Historical background: how lobbying developed in the US and Europe
US. The American model is the most institutionalized. In the 19th century, the term “lobbyist” came into use to describe individuals who communicated with congressmen behind the scenes.
The modern system is based on mandatory registration of lobbyists, reporting on clients, budgets, and topics of influence, public registries, and compliance.
Principles: transparency of contacts with officials, disclosure of expenses, restrictions on gifts and travel funding, disciplinary responsibility for covert activities.
Europe. In the EU, lobbying is formalized as the participation of interested parties in policy-making. The European Commission and European Parliament have a Common Transparency Register, which requires disclosure of information about organizations and consultants, their goals and resources, and meetings with high-ranking officials are published online.
National regimes vary, but common standards include public registers, codes of ethics, tracking of influence on regulation, and impact assessments for new legislation.
Source: https://interfax.com.ua/news/projects/1119422.html
On November 7, 2025, the National Association of Lobbyists of Ukraine (NALU) and Yuridicheskaya Praktika publishing house will hold an official presentation of the opening of the Higher School of Lobbying in Ukraine. The event will be a key step in forming a new professional community of specialists working at the intersection of business, government, and civil society.
The Higher School of Lobbying was created to develop ethical, transparent, and effective practices for representing interests in public policy. Its goal is to lay the foundation for the professional training of a new generation of lobbyists who operate according to the principles of integrity, responsibility, and the rule of law.
During the event, there will be a presentation lecture on the new NALU educational course “Lobbying and Advocacy: The Art of Influencing Public Policy,” which will familiarize listeners with the training program and basic topics of the course.
Leading experts will share their knowledge:
• Lyudmila Kozhura, Doctor of Law, Professor, Director of the Vadym Hetman KNEU Law Institute — will reveal the legal basis of lobbying and international standards for its regulation.
• Iryna Shapovalova, Deputy Chair of the NALU Board, will focus on ethical standards and the culture of professional lobbying.
• Yana Tsymbalenko, Associate Professor at Igor Sikorsky KPI, expert on corruption prevention, will give a lecture on the risks of shadow lobbying and the principles of transparency.
Members of the NALU Board of Trustees, representatives of the business, legal, and educational communities will take part in the event. After the official part, there will be networking with guests and communication with teachers and project organizers.
The venue will be announced later for security reasons.
Follow the official announcements of the National Association of Lobbyists of Ukraine, register to participate, and join the community at: info@unla.org.ua.
The National Association of Lobbyists of Ukraine (NALU) brings together lawyers, financial experts, and attorneys to promote investment and protect business interests.
Yuridicheskaya Praktika is a leading Ukrainian media outlet specializing in law and jurisprudence, founded in 1995, with print and electronic versions.
Myronivsky Hliboproduct agricultural holding (MHP), whose majority shareholder and chairman of the board is Yuriy Kosiuk, has confirmed information about financing the Foundation for Support of Reforms in Ukraine by five of its enterprises, but the foundation independently decided on spending these funds, in particular on payment for the services of the U.S. lobbying company BGR in 2017-2018 for the National Reforms Council, led by the then President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko.
“MHP companies really provided financial assistance to the Foundation for Support of Reforms in Ukraine. Financial assistance was provided to achieve the goal of the organization, namely to promote the development of Ukraine and the growth of well-being of its citizens by providing support in the development and implementation of reforms in Ukraine,” the press service of the holding told Interfax-Ukraine.
The agricultural holding said that MHP and its chairman did not used the funds provided to the Foundation for Support of Reforms to directly finance lobbying in the United States or other specific areas.
“The public organization independently determines the use of funds received from all founders and partners, taking into account the detailed directions of activity,” MHP noted.
According to the Kyiv Post edition, the administration of President Poroshenko through the Foundation for Support of Reforms in Ukraine paid for the services of American lobbyists at the expense of contributions made by Kosiuk, who at that time was a freelance adviser to the head of state, and it took $600,000 in 2017-2018. The matter concerns five agricultural firms: PrJSC Zernoproduct MHP, Vinnytsia Poultry Farm LLC, PrJSC Myronivska Poultry Farm, Research and Production Firm Urozhay LLC, and Urozhaina Kraina LLC. In addition to the money from Kosiuk, this public organization received grants of millions of dollars in support of reforms from embassies and Western donors, including American ones, Kyiv Post said.
LOBBYING, MYRONIVSKY HLIBOPRODUCT, POROSHENKO, REFORMS, SUPPORT FOUNDATION
