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1. The general objectives of the Facility shall be to support Ukraine to:

(a) address the social, economic and environmental consequences of Russia’s war of aggression, thereby contributing to the peaceful recovery, reconstruction, restoration and modernisation of the country and to the post-war recovery of Ukrainian society, including by creating the social and economic conditions for internally displaced persons and persons under temporary protection to return;

(b) foster social and territorial cohesion, democratic, economic, environmental resilience, progressive integration into the Union and global economy and markets and upward economic, social and environmental convergence towards Union standards;

(c) adopt and implement the political, institutional, legal, administrative, social and economic reforms required to align to Union values and to progressively align to Union rules, standards, policies and practices (‘acquis’) with a view to future Union membership, thereby contributing to mutual stability, security, peace, prosperity and sustainability.

2. The specific objectives of the Facility shall include:

(a) helping to maintain the macro-financial stability of the country and easing Ukraine’s external and internal financing constraints to ensure the continued functioning of the Ukrainian state;

(b) rebuilding and modernising infrastructure damaged by the war, such as energy infrastructure, water systems, internal and cross-border transport networks including rail, roads and bridges and border crossing points, and educational and cultural infrastructure, and fostering modern, improved and resilient infrastructures;

(c) contributing to demining and other mine action efforts; restoring food production capacities; helping to address social and health challenges, including mental health, and improving and strengthening the social care systems and their accessibility, in particular for specific groups, such as veterans, internally displaced persons, single parents, war widows and widowers, children, especially those without parental care, persons with disabilities, minorities, young and elderly people, and other persons in vulnerable situations;

(d) strengthening security against hybrid threats, such as cyber threats, as well as strengthening resilience against disinformation, foreign information manipulation and interference;

(e) fostering the transition to a sustainable, climate neutral and inclusive economy and a stable investment environment;

(f) supporting the integration of Ukraine into the internal market; repairing, rebuilding, safeguarding and improving social infrastructure, such as housing, social, sports, youth and healthcare facilities, schools and higher education institutions; strengthening economic and social development and inclusion, with particular attention to women, as well as youth, including through quality education, training, reskilling and upskilling, and employment policies, including for researchers;

(g) promoting science and research; support the creative sector and independent media; supporting culture and cultural heritage including cultural infrastructure; strengthening strategic economic sectors; fostering an institutional framework for investment and competition to enable individuals, and businesses, with a focus on SMEs and innovation, inter alia, by promoting equal opportunities for access to funding, regardless of the size of companies, to develop modern, competitive and sustainable products and services; supporting sustainable agriculture and rural development, aquaculture and fisheries, including alignment with Union standards and control systems concerning food safety, animal and plant health, as well as animal welfare; reforming Ukraine’s financial and banking sector, improving access to loans and insurance coverage;

(h) further strengthening the rule of law, democracy, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, including through strengthening democratic institutions, in particular the Verkhovna Rada, as well as regional and municipal representative bodies, and their powers of oversight and inquiry over the distribution of and access to public funds; promoting an independent judiciary to support deoligarchisation efforts, strengthen the fight against fraud, all forms of corruption, including high level corruption, organised crime, tax evasion and tax fraud, tax avoidance and the illicit trafficking of firearms and cultural property; strengthening compliance with international law;

(i) strengthening the freedom and independence of the media and artistic and academic freedom as well as an enabling environment for civil society; fostering social dialogue and civil society involvement; promoting non-discrimination to ensure and strengthen respect for the rights of persons belonging to all minorities, and the promotion of gender equality, the overall empowerment of women and girls, as well as, the rights of children and persons with disabilities; reinforcing the effectiveness of public administration; encouraging access to information and the participation of civil society in decision making processes and public scrutiny, and supporting transparency, structural reforms and good governance at all levels, including in the areas of public financial management and public procurement, competition and state aid; supporting initiatives and bodies and organisations involved in supporting and enforcing democracy, international justice and anti-corruption efforts in Ukraine;

(j) developing and strengthening environmental protection, a sustainable and just green transition in all economic sectors, including Ukraine’s transition towards climate neutrality, in accordance with the Paris Agreement; improve the awareness of and fight against environmental crime; promoting digital transformation as an enabler for sustainable development and inclusive growth; supporting ecological rehabilitation following the environmental damage inflicted by military operations and contributing to decontamination, the demining effort and clearance of other explosive remnants of war as well as pollution caused by military activity;

(k) supporting political and administrative decentralisation and local development, especially by supporting meaningful consultation and a level playing field for all levels of government when accessing funds via open, fair, neutral and transparent procedures;

(l) supporting cross-border cooperation with the Member States bordering Ukraine in areas such as trade, environmental protection and the fight against international crime, provided that Ukraine remains the sole beneficiary of the funding.