LEGAL FOUNDATIONS OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSFORMATION OF UKRAINE’S TRANSPORT SECTOR IN THE CONTEXT OF EUROPEAN INTEGRATION
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15407/econlaw.2025.02.085Keywords:
European integration, decarbonization, transport policy of Ukraine, legal regulation, sustainable mobility, environmental lawAbstract
The article offers a comprehensive legal analysis of the environmental transformation of Ukraine’s transport sector within the broader framework of its European integration commitments and post-war recovery agenda. The study reveals that the current regulatory environment remains structurally fragmented and normatively obsolete, failing to incorporate core legal provisions pertaining to decarbonization, alternative fuels, energy efficiency, and environmental conformity of transport modalities.
Particular emphasis is placed on the systemic absence of legal mechanisms required for the effective transportation of foundational EU legal acts – such as Directive 2009/28/EC and 2014/94/EC, and Regulations 2019/1242 and 2020/852 – into Ukraine’s national legal order. This legislative deficiency significantly impairs the country’s ability to converge with the acquis Communautaire, hinders access to pan-European climate finance instruments, and undermines progress toward sustainable transport governance. Applying doctrinal, comparative, and systemic methods, the research identifies legal and institutional deficiencies in emissions monitoring, carbon pricing, and environmental requirements in public procurement. It further reveals a lack of integration between environmental objectives and fiscal or investment policies in the transport domain.
The findings substantiate the urgent need for comprehensive modernization of Ukraine’s legal architecture – namely, the introduction of binding environmental compliance standards for vehicle, the establishment of a national policy framework on alternative fuel infrastructure, and the development of legal instruments to incentivize low-emission transport solutions. The study concludes by underscoring the strategic significance of constructing a coherent regulatory model aligned with the European Green Deal and the EU’s overarching climate objectives.
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