Vitalii Bezghin Explained What the Classification by Functional Territory Types Means for Communities in Practice and What It Will Change

Ukrainian communities differ greatly in their security conditions, geography, economies and people’s needs. State support therefore cannot be the same for everyone. For example, the state cannot apply identical approaches to the Kherson and Lviv communities.

This week, the Government approved the classification of communities by functional territory type. Work on this decision began in 2022, when the relevant approach was enshrined in law.

Four main territory types have been identified: recovery territories, territories with special development conditions, regional growth poles and sustainable development territories.

Territories with special development conditions are further divided into subtypes: territories with low levels of socioeconomic development; natural constraints; industrial disasters; just transition; nature conservation; and rural territories. Mountainous, forested and steppe areas are included among territories with natural constraints.

Each type has its own development priorities. For recovery territories, these include security, demining, and the restoration of housing and critical infrastructure. For mountainous territories, they include transport accessibility, tourism and natural risks.

“The next step is to create separate ‘support packages’ for each functional territory type. This will make it possible to reduce development gaps, work more systematically with European programmes and funds and, most importantly, bring necessary state services closer to people,” stressed Vitalii Bezghin.

According to the Minister, Minregion’s support programmes should be systematised by functional territory type as early as next year.