Harmonization of civil and land legislation in the context of Ukraine's European integration

Abstract

The purpose of the article is a comprehensive study of the problems and prospects of harmonizing the civil and land legislation of Ukraine with the law of the European Union in conditions of martial law, increased corruption risks, and limited institutional capacity, as well as substantiating practical directions for further adaptation to the acquis communautaire, taking into account modern European integration challenges.

Methods. The study uses systemic-structural, formal-legal, comparative-legal, and analytical methods. The analysis of regulatory legal acts of Ukraine and the EU, the practice of implementing EU directives, materials from European Commission reports, and a generalization of doctrinal approaches in the field of civil and land law were used. Elements of institutional and functional analysis were applied to assess the impact of war, digitalization, and anti-corruption mechanisms on the harmonization process.

Results. It is established that, as of the end of 2025, Ukraine has made significant progress in adapting its civil legislation, in particular in the fields of administrative procedures, judicial practice, and the elimination of the dualism of private law resulting from the abolition of the Commercial Code of Ukraine. At the same time, the fragmentation of alternative dispute resolution mechanisms and mediation, the insufficient role of judicial practice in the formation of a unified approach to private law, as well as limited harmonization in the field of digital and consumer law, were identified. The land legislation identified the preservation of corruption risks in the cadastre, distribution and lease of land, incomplete unification with EU environmental law, as well as the negative impact of military factors, in particular soil contamination and a moratorium on inspections, on the investment attractiveness and stability of the land market.

Conclusions. It is substantiated that further harmonization of civil and land legislation of Ukraine requires a systemic approach that combines the development of mandatory pre-trial mediation, strengthening the role of judicial practice, full digitalization of the land cadaster, unification of land and environmental law, as well as the implementation of a comprehensive anti-corruption strategy with a focus on the land sector. The implementation of the proposed measures will contribute to the reduction of legal gaps, increased transparency, sustainable economic recovery, and acceleration of Ukraine's integration into the European Union.