Ukraine’s 2025 Public-Private Partnership Reform and the Space Sector: Regulatory Opportunities and Implementation Constraints

Article

Open Access

by Karpenko, Serhii¹ and Makushev, Petro²
¹ State Enterprise “Production Association Southern Machine-Building Plant named after O. M. Makarov” (Dnipro, Ukraine)
² Department of History and Theory of State and Law, University of Customs and Finance (Dnipro, Ukraine)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.29202/asl/17/1
Received: 07 April 2026 / Accepted: 12 June 2026 / Published: 30 June 2026

View Full-Text Review Reports Cite This Paper

Abstract

Law No. 4510-IX on Public-Private Partnership has recast the legal framework for long-term cooperation between public authorities and private investors in Ukraine. The reform is significant for the space sector, where major projects require substantial capital, specialised technology and sustained public oversight. This article examines the opportunities created by the new Law and the limits imposed by the administrative-law regime governing strategic space activity. The analysis is doctrinal and functional. It reads Law No. 4510-IX together with Ukrainian legislation on space activity, public finance, procurement, State secrecy, export control, administrative procedure, intellectual property and technology transfer, as well as relevant European and international standards. The article argues that the reform provides a more coherent basis for project preparation, effectiveness analysis, competitive selection, contractual risk allocation and public support. It also permits software, information systems, equipment and components to form part of a PPP object. These features are capable of supporting projects in satellite communications, Earth observation, ground infrastructure and related information services. Their use remains subject, however, to the competence of public authorities, sectoral permits and declarations, certification, registration, security restrictions, export control and continuing State supervision. The practical value of the reform will therefore depend on the coordination of general PPP legislation with special space and security law, reliable budgetary planning, institutional capacity and the protection of results of space activity.

Keywords: public-private partnership; state-private partnership; space sector; Ukraine; Law No. 4510-IX; administrative law; national security.

References

Budget Code of Ukraine (2010) Budget Code of Ukraine No. 2456-VI of 8 July 2010, as amended. Available online: https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/2456-17

Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine (2015) Resolution No. 281 of 14 May 2015 approving the Regulation on the State Space Agency of Ukraine, as amended. Available online: https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/281-2015-%D0%BF

Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine (2025) Resolution No. 905 of 21 July 2025, Certain Issues of the Activities of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine. Available online: https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/905-2025-%D0%BF

Code of Administrative Justice of Ukraine (2005) Code of Administrative Justice of Ukraine No. 2747-IV of 6 July 2005, as amended. Available online: https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/2747-15

Daderko, Leonid (2018) Protection of Trade Secrets in Outer Space Activity: A Study in Ukrainian Law. Advanced Space Law, Volume 1, 24–32. https://doi.org/10.29202/asl/2018/1/3

Directive 2014/23/EU (2014) Directive 2014/23/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 February 2014 on the Award of Concession Contracts. Official Journal of the European Union, L 94, 1–64. Available online: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2014/23/oj/eng

Drozd, Olexiy (2019) Regulatory Framework for Space Activities: The Analysis of the Main Regulatory Acts. Advanced Space Law, Volume 3: 18–29. https://doi.org/10.29202/asl/2019/3/2

European Commission (2004) Green Paper on Public-Private Partnerships and Community Law on Public Contracts and Concessions, COM(2004) 327 final. Available online: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52004DC0327

Government Office for Coordination of European and Euro-Atlantic Integration (2026) Report on Implementation of the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the European Union for 2025. Available online: https://eu-ua.kmu.gov.ua/wp-content/uploads/Zvitpro-vykonannya-Ugody-pro-asotsiatsiyu-za-2025-r.pdf

Harbuz, Tatiana (2018) Industrial Property and Space Activities: Legal Protection. Advanced Space Law, Volume 1: 40–56. https://doi.org/10.29202/asl/2018/1/6

Kostenko, Inesa (2024) Administrative-Legal Regulation of Ukraine’s Space Activities: Challenges in Wartime and Strategic Perspectives. Advanced Space Law, Volume 14: 28–44. https://doi.org/10.29202/asl/14/3

Law No. 143-V (2006) Law of Ukraine on State Regulation of Activities in the Sphere of Technology Transfer of 14 September 2006, as amended. Available online: https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/143-16

Law No. 155-IX (2019) Law of Ukraine on Concession of 3 October 2019, as amended. Available online: https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/155-20

Law No. 2073-IX (2022) Law of Ukraine on Administrative Procedure of 17 February 2022, as amended. Available online: https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/2073-20

Law No. 3855-XII (1994) Law of Ukraine on State Secrets of 21 January 1994, as amended. Available online: https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/3855-12

Law No. 4510-IX (2025) Law of Ukraine on Public-Private Partnership of 19 June 2025. Available online: https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/4510-20

Law No. 4585-IX (2025) Law of Ukraine on Amendments to Certain Laws of Ukraine concerning Intellectual Property Rights to Objects Created in Connection with the Performance of Military Service of 21 August 2025. Available online: https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/4585-20

Law No. 502/96-VR (1996) Law of Ukraine on Space Activity of 15 November 1996, as amended. Available online: https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/502/96-%D0%B2%D1%80

Law No. 549-IV (2003) Law of Ukraine on State Control over International Transfers of Military and Dual-Use Goods of 20 February 2003, as amended. Available online: https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/549-15

Law No. 922-VIII (2015) Law of Ukraine on Public Procurement of 25 December 2015, as amended. Available online: https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/922-19

Malysheva, Nataliia (2024) Space Policy and Space Law of Ukraine: ‘Relatives’ or ‘Strangers’. Advanced Space Law, Volume 13, 32–42. https://doi.org/10.29202/asl/13/3

Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine (2026) Draft Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine on Approval of the Procedure for Determining a Private Partner, published 22 June 2026. Available online: https://me.gov.ua/Documents/Detail/b40d37b1-a574-4835-8770-aa20b0b73972?lang=uk-UA

OECD (2012) Recommendation of the Council on Principles for Public Governance of Public-Private Partnerships, OECD/LEGAL/0392. Available online: https://legalinstruments.oecd.org/en/instruments/OECD-LEGAL-0392

Outer Space Treaty (1967) Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies, 610 UNTS 205. Available online: https://www.unoosa.org/oosa/en/ourwork/spacelaw/treaties/outerspacetreaty.html

World Bank (2017) Public-Private Partnerships: Reference Guide, Version 3. Washington, DC: World Bank. https://doi.org/10.1596/29052

Share and Cite

Karpenko, Serhii, and Petro Makushev (2026) Ukraine’s 2025 Public-Private Partnership Reform and the Space Sector: Regulatory Opportunities and Implementation Constraints. Advanced Space Law, Volume 17, 4-15. https://doi.org/10.29202/asl/17/1

Back to the list of Articles