29.07.2025
After more than 20 years of attempts and 12 draft bills, Ukraine has finally adopted the Law “On Lobbying”—a key instrument designed to make the interaction between business and government transparent, ethical, and compliant with European standards. Anastasiia Zernova—a specialist in the field of GR who was directly involved in the development and promotion of this law—spoke about why this law was inevitable, how it will work, and what opportunities it opens up for the energy sector during her lecture for the “Communications and Interaction in Energy” course by Energy Club.
Anastasiia Zernova, who headed the relevant department at the National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP) and is one of the experts delegated by Ukraine to GRECO (Group of States against Corruption) for the sixth round evaluation, shared unique insights from within the law’s adoption process. She noted that the adoption of the law was a direct requirement from Ukraine’s international partners, particularly the European Commission and the Council of Europe, as part of anti-corruption reforms and the path to the EU.
“The topic of ethical lobbying in Ukraine is important from the perspective of our society’s development, the development of business in Ukraine, and its integration into the European space. We must understand how to build ethical and effective strategies so that our Ukrainian business is represented at a high level in Ukraine and in the European Union,” emphasized Anastasiia Zernova.
One of the key goals of the law, according to the expert, was to distinguish civilized lobbying from advocacy, public relations, and the shadowy influences that previously existed in the format of “quasi-lobbying.”
The speaker provided a detailed breakdown of the new legislation’s structure, which includes the Law itself, amendments to the Code on Administrative Offenses, and the Rules of Ethical Conduct. She stressed that the law is “foundational” and not overly strict, in order to give the market an opportunity to form.
“We explained that Ukraine is forming its market, and we cannot impose harsh regulations. If there are [harsh] sanctions right from the start, the market simply will not open up,” the expert said, describing the NACP’s position during negotiations with European partners. She called on businesses to perceive the NACP, which will be the administrator of the Transparency Register, as a partner that will provide clarifications.
A separate block of the lecture was devoted to lobbying in the EU, where, according to the speaker, the Ukrainian energy sector needs to be much more active. She cited exceptional figures: in the EU’s Transparency Register, about 5,346 organizations declare lobbying in the energy sector, while the total number of Ukrainian organizations across all issues is only 66.
“We need to have a very strong lobby right now, specifically in the energy sector [in the EU]. Through lobbying in the EU, we can change our market. That is, we can already understand what we need… and through directives and regulations, begin to make changes and then bring them back to Ukraine,” explained Anastasiia Zernova.
The lecture gave participants a unique opportunity to hear “first-hand” information about how a new regulatory sphere was formed for Ukraine. It concluded with a call for businesses not to be afraid of the new law, but to actively participate in shaping the market, testing the system, and providing their recommendations to make civilized lobbying an effective tool for economic development.
About the course: The course “Communications and Interaction in Energy: Strategies for PR, Marketing, GR and Lobbying in Ukraine” from Energy Club is designed to enhance the communication capabilities of companies, promote their competitiveness, and support the sustainable development of Ukraine’s energy sector.
