EU's "Mayors for Economic Growth" Initiative Supports Rural Development in Ukraine

The European Union's Delegation to Ukraine visited the Pyriatyn Community to mark the completion of a three-year project under the EU's "Mayors for Economic Growth" (M4EG) initiative, which aimed to strengthen the local economy, support small-scale agricultural production, and create jobs. Despite the full-scale invasion that began shortly after the project's launch, the community managed to adapt and expand its outcomes, creating new jobs, modernizing infrastructure, and fostering youth entrepreneurship. The project's achievements are now being integrated into the local community's policies, with the community already showing significant progress in areas such as agriculture, education, and social cohesion.

Key Takeaways:

• The "Mayors for Economic Growth" (M4EG) initiative, a three-year project under the EU's "Mayors for Economic Growth" (M4EG) initiative, aimed to strengthen the local economy, support small-scale agricultural production, and create jobs in the Pyriatyn Community in Ukraine.
• The project was completed in 2025, despite the full-scale invasion that began shortly after its launch, with the community adapting and expanding its outcomes to create new jobs, modernize infrastructure, and foster youth entrepreneurship.
• The community created new jobs through opening a meat processing workshop, modernizing a bakery, and introducing new technologies in livestock farming, processing, and logistics.
• More than 11,000 children and young people have taken part in a range of educational and production activities, with the community expanding the area for growing berries, vegetables, and fruit trees to 56 hectares.
• The community introduced a shared grain storage service using polymer sleeves, enabling the preservation of over 10,000 tonnes of produce, and built 67 greenhouses, launching a small-scale mechanization service that supports over 300 households annually.
• The community actively supports internally displaced persons (IDPs), providing shelter for over 10,000 people, with 4,000 choosing to settle permanently.
• The EU supported the New Ukrainian School reform initiative in Pyriatyn, providing laptops and interactive touchscreen smartboards to foster modern education in six rural schools.
• The community has introduced updated courses in culinary arts, economics, and financial literacy in school coworking spaces and established Smallholder Innovation Groups (SIGs) to support rural development.

Statistics:

• The EU grant support amounted to over EUR 870,000 for the project.
• The community created over 11,000 jobs through the project.
• The community expanded the area for growing berries, vegetables, and fruit trees to 56 hectares.
• The community preserved over 10,000 tonnes of produce using polymer sleeves.
• The community built 67 greenhouses and launched a small-scale mechanization service that supports over 300 households annually.
• The community provided shelter for over 10,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs).
• The EU supported the New Ukrainian School reform initiative in Pyriatyn, providing laptops and interactive touchscreen smartboards to foster modern education in six rural schools.

Sources:

• European Union External Action Service news release
• "Development of Pyriatyn community value chains in dairy and berry clusters to support youth and rural residents economic empowerment and enable local green growth" project document
• M4EG programme website
• European Union website