SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE DANUBE REGION OF UKRAINE IN THE CONTEXT OF COOPERATION WITH THE EU

Abstract

The formation of a concept for the socio-economic development of Ukraine's regions requires the development of a concept for the restoration of Ukraine's economy on the basis of sustainable development in the context of intensified cooperation with the EU. Particular attention should be paid to the regions of the country that are part of depressed territorial units and are of strategic importance. One of such regions is the Danube Region, which is of strategic importance for the infrastructure support of the Ukrainian economy. The article examines the main problems of development of this region with their distribution in three areas: economic, social and environmental. The authors identify the main tasks for forming the concept of socio-economic development of the region and propose a mechanism for managing the development of a depressed region, which identifies forms and approaches to management, as well as appropriate methods and tools. The implementation of the proposed measures will allow to realise the potential of this region in the context of deepening cooperation with the EU countries. The key elements of the existing potential of the Danube Region of Ukraine are the following: location and infrastructure, natural resources, trade opportunities, energy resources, economic potential, international cooperation, and others. It is proved that ensuring the socio-economic development of this region requires significant investment resources. The author proposes the main measures to increase the level of investment attractiveness of the region, namely: legal reform, liberalisation and simplification of import and export of goods, implementation of infrastructure projects, support for high-potential industries, improvement of public administration efficiency, intensification of partnership with the private sector, implementation of environmental standards, and an active information campaign. The implementation of the proposed measures will help form the basis for the socio-economic development of the Danube Region in cooperation with the EU.