In June and July, the European Institute of Public Administration (EIPA) delivered two specialised seminars in Kyiv under the Luxembourg Technical Assistance Programme for Ukraine, “Supporting legal and administrative reforms required by Candidate Country status”. The activities were implemented with the support of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, Defence, Cooperation and Foreign Trade of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.
Hosted at the Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine, the seminars brought together public officials and judicial training professionals to strengthen Ukraine’s administrative and institutional capacity as the country advances on its path towards EU membership.
Supporting Ukraine’s EU Accession Process
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he first seminar, “Ukraine and the EU: The Association and Accession Processes”, was organised for the Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine and targeted civil servants involved in different aspects of Ukraine’s EU integration process.
Delivered by EIPA’s experts Juan Diego Ramírez-Cárdenas Díaz and Wolfgang Koeth, the training provided participants with an overview of the political, legal and institutional dimensions of EU enlargement. Participants explored the evolution of the EU accession process, the enlargement methodology, the functioning of accession negotiations, legal approximation with the EU acquis, and the internal implications of enlargement for the European Union itself.
Beyond expert presentations, the programme placed a strong emphasis on practical application. Through workshops and group exercises, participants translated the requirements of the accession negotiations into concrete administrative actions, analysed the „Fundamentals“ cluster of the negotiating framework and worked on legal approximation exercises comparing national legislation with the EU acquis. The session encouraged active dialogue between experts and participants, enabling them to exchange experiences and discuss the challenges and opportunities arising from Ukraine’s candidate country status.
Strengthening Judicial Training for EU Integration
The second seminar “Strengthening Judicial Training: Teaching EU Law to Judges through Effective Methodology”, organised by EIPA for the National School of Judges of Ukraine (NSJU) and delivered by EIPA’s expert Juan Diego Ramírez-Cárdenas Díaz, focused on strengthening the capacity of judicial trainers responsible for preparing judges to operate within a future EU legal framework.
Responding directly to the priorities identified in the European Commission’s Ukraine Report, the seminar combined expertise in EU law with modern approaches to judicial education. EIPA Senior Legal Expert Juan Diego Ramírez-Cárdenas Díaz, guided participants through the full Training Management Cycle, adult learning principles, curriculum design and innovative teaching methodologies tailored to judicial audiences.
Workshops enabled participants to design judicial training programmes and practice-oriented learning sessions covering EU law, judicial ethics, judgecraft and digital transformation. Dedicated discussions also examined emerging topics such as AI literacy and the growing role of digital technologies in modern justice systems, ensuring that judicial training continues to evolve alongside Europe’s legal landscape.
Continuing EIPA’s Support for Ukraine
The two seminars demonstrate EIPA’s continued commitment to supporting Ukraine’s public administration and judiciary as they prepare for EU membership. By combining policy expertise, practical methodologies and peer learning, the activities contributed to strengthening institutional capacity, promoting the rule of law and supporting the implementation of the EU acquis.
Through the Luxembourg Technical Assistance Programme, EIPA remains committed to accompanying Ukraine on its European integration journey by delivering high-quality capacity-building initiatives tailored to the country’s evolving reform needs.
