COMPARISON OF INVESTOR SUPPORT PROCEDURES IN EU COUNTRIES AND UKRAINE IN THE CONTEXT OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION MODERNIZATION

Abstract

The study aims to develop a comprehensive scientific understanding of the institutional, organizational, legal, and digital mechanisms of investor support in the European Union countries and Ukraine, as well as to determine their effectiveness and outline directions for modernizing Ukraine’s state investment policy. The empirical basis comprises statistical data from UNCTAD, OECD, Eurostat, and national statistical services of European countries and Ukraine for 2020-2024, as well as official reports from Deutsche Trade & Invest, the Polish Investment and Trade Agency, CzechInvest, Business France, and UkraineInvest. Systemic, comparative, institutional, structural-functional, and content analysis of regulatory legal acts were employed, which made it possible to determine the level of autonomy of the relevant agencies, the integration of digital services, and the specifics of post-investment support. Comparative analysis revealed that European countries are characterized by a well-developed multilevel institutional architecture of investor support, which combines agency autonomy, regulatory stability, comprehensive digitalization of procedures, and a systemic model of ongoing support. Specifically, Poland and the Czech Republic demonstrate stable growth in foreign direct investment, indicating the effectiveness of their institutional mechanisms. At the same time, Ukraine experiences fragmentation of administrative procedures, lack of autonomy of investment agencies, low level of digital process integration, complex permitting procedures, and regulatory unpredictability. This creates obstacles for investors and limits long-term investment activity. The effectiveness of investor support depends on the quality of institutional interaction, the stability of the regulatory system, and the level of digital integration. For Ukraine, key measures include implementing a single digital window, expanding the powers of UkraineInvest, strengthening coordination among government bodies, ensuring regulatory predictability, and creating a regional network of investment centers. The implementation of effective European practices can enhance the country’s investment attractiveness, facilitate economic modernization, and integrate it into the European economic space.