Stretched near the checkpoint on the border with Hungary, the municipality has an advantageous geography. One of Ukraine’s largest railway transport hubs passes through Batiovo, including branches to Chop, Berehove and Mukachevo, as well as a cargo customs crossing to the EU.
While not populous, Batiovo municipality is very proactive in intermunicipal cooperation, participates in cross-border programmes and is a successful role model for municipalities that focuses on logistics, healthcare and partnerships.
“U-LEAD with Europe believes in us and helps us not to give up even in the most difficult times. This is very inspiring,” says Dmytro Taranenko, the Mayor of the municipality.
Intermunicipal cooperation: partnerships for the common good
Batiovo is one of the most active municipalities in Zakarpattia Oblast when it comes to intermunicipal cooperation. According to the decentralisation reform monitoring data as of July 2025, 13 municipal cooperation projects are being implemented in the oblast. This is not a big number, and the case of Batiovo municipality is one of the most successful.
In 2023, together with the municipalities of Koson and Velykyi Bereznyi, it created a joint Primary Healthcare Centre in order to improve the quality of medical services.
“The district covers two more municipalities, and we managed to come to agreement with them and create a joint healthcare facility. In addition to providing really effective services, it has significantly reduced the burden on local budgets,” explains the mayor of the municipality.
Meanwhile, Batiovo municipality is already planning a new partnership: in June this year, a strategic meeting was held with the participation of five municipalities of Berehove District and U-LEAD experts. Its goal is to expand intermunicipal cooperation in the field of social protection.
Batiovo municipality is developing ties with Kamianske, which has a robust Social Services Centre. The municipalities of Velyka Byihan, Velykyi Bereznyi and Koson also joined the dialogue.
This type of cooperation enables to:
- Provide high-quality social services even in small municipalities;
- Share professional resources to cover a shortage of personnel;
- Save money by avoiding overlaps in agencies;
- Cover a larger number of residents with the support they need.
“In EU countries, intermunicipal cooperation has long become a standard for improving the quality of local services. Further, it is a powerful financial tool! Intermunicipal partnerships both save money due to the scale and cut down on administration costs, as well as facilitate jointly attracting investments and participating in large projects that would be unattainable separately,” says Pavlo Lohvinov, the Head of the Regional Office of U-LEAD with Europe in Zakarpattia Oblast.
We asked Dmytro Taranenko about the difficulties associated with reaching agreements with other municipalities. After all, everyone has their own interests and visions, and it is not always easy to find common ground. In response, Mr Taranenko smiled and stated:
“We always try to move in the right direction, to communicate correctly with partners. It’s not always easy. Sometimes it’s hard to even find time in our busy schedules to sit down and talk it over. But if municipalities do join forces, it is very beneficial for everyone. We see that this tool works, and it makes our work much easier.”
Investments in development: how the municipality streamlines resources as well as builds up the budget
Streamlining resources through intermunicipal cooperation enables municipalities to increase the efficiency of management and the quality of services. And in addition to saving, Batiovo municipality actively builds up its own financial capabilities by attracting investments.
In 2022, the municipality, with the support of U-LEAD with Europe, developed their Investment Passport, a strategic document that facilitates consistent work to attract funds to priority areas of municipal development and cooperating with investors. It has been implemented since 2023.
“From the very beginning, we were focused on large projects,” says Dmytro Taranenko. “We saw that we could make it work as a municipality. We managed to make the right decisions that allowed us to survive and sustain our economy.”
Batiovo’s geography is its natural asset. The municipality has access to a railway junction, a customs crossing and is located on key transport routes. “Europe comes to our municipality — and stays here,” is how Dmytro Taranenko summarises this advantage.
One of the flagship achievements of the municipality’s investment policy is BF Terminal, an industrial park that is being built near the villages of Batiovo and Batrad. Production shops for the future MDF, CLT, laminate and parquet board producer are currently under construction. The production is to be launched in 2025. Preliminary estimates suggest that the project will create up to 2,000 jobs for residents of Zakarpattia Oblast in its initial phase. This is one of the largest investments attracted to Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale invasion.
“The Regional Office in Zakarpattia Oblast and our experts have been working with Batiovo municipality for a long time, helping it develop its Investment Passport and foster an approach to investment policy — along with eight other municipalities in Zakarpattia Oblast. We are delighted to see that our work has yielded results. This is not just about money — this is about creating jobs, revitalising the region, transforming the structure of the municipality budget. We are talking about several thousand jobs. This gives people a chance to stay, return and work in their home country,” says Pavlo Lohvinov.
Scalable practical experience
Batiovo’s case shows that a municipality’s strength lies not only in resources, but in the ability to work together. Rather than an additional tool, Batiovo sees intermunicipal cooperation as a rationale for action, enabling it to not only resolve local issues, but also strengthen the capacity of the entire region. By joining forces with neighbouring municipalities in healthcare, social services and other areas, Batiovo fosters an environment of support and growth.
Moreover, it highlights that partnerships with businesses are not a deterrent but rather a catalyst for investment. Strategic planning, U-LEAD’s support and effective cooperation with government agencies allow the municipality to attract large investments and build financial stability.
