JASPERS started working with Ukraine in 2022. Our transport experts conducted an in-depth study titled Strategy for the EU integration of the Ukrainian and Moldovan rail systems, to develop a strategy for the EU integration of the Ukrainian and Moldovan rail systems. In Ukraine, the study recommended deploying the standard European track gauge on several corridors in the country, beginning with the connection of L’viv with neighbouring EU Member States (Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania). This would make L’viv a key node for this integration.  The reorganisation of the L’viv railway node is a significant step in this integration, allowing for future extensions towards Kyiv and Odesa.

By the end of 2022, JASPERS had supported the Ukrainian authorities in preparing  projects for submission under the 2023 Connecting Europe facility call. This included 12 cross-border point projects under the EU Solidarity Lanes Initiative. These projects aimed to increase capacity and curtail waiting times at border crossings, a critical measure for Ukraine’s exports and imports, including agricultural products and construction materials, but also fuel and humanitarian aid, especially in light of the blockade of Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea. JASPERS is currently supporting the Ukrainian authorities in implementing the selected projects.

In 2024, JASPERS initiated a project in the energy sector, supporting the preparation of Slovakia-Ukraine and Romania-Ukraine power interconnectors.

JASPERS continued the support to the Ukrainian Railways in defining projects to submitted to the CEF call 2024, with the aim of preparing the first-priority projects resulting from the transport strategy. The submitted  projects  include the EU gauge connection between L’viv and the borders with Slovakia and Hungary, the EU gauge connection between L’viv and the Romanian border and the development of the L’viv railway node strategy. JASPERS will support in the development of those projects that will be selected for CEF co-financing.

In addition, JASPERS is assiting DG MOVE and the Ukrainian Railways in revising the project documentation for the EU gauge connection between the Polish border and L’viv. JASPERS will also develop, with the support of external consultants, the pre-feasibility study for the EU gauge connection L’viv – Kyiv and Kovel – Kyiv.

Further, JASPERS has been advising the Ukrainian Government under the Eastern Partnership Investment in Connectivity (EPIC) initiative. So far our focus has been on helping to establish a national strategic framework and Single Sector Project Pipeline (SSPP) specifically for transport. This is part of the broader effort to establish a Single Project Pipeline (SPP) methodology within the new Public Investment Management (PIM) system, required by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).