“On September 1, 2025, the National Association of Lobbyists of Ukraine (NALU) was established. Given that Ukrainians often do not understand the essence of lobbying, and sometimes even associate it with corruption, the Association faces a large amount of work: from raising the standards of the professional environment to informing society. “Our main challenge is not to distort the very institution of lobbying, which should unite everyone”, — write on: ua.news
On September 1, 2025, the National Association of Lobbyists of Ukraine (NALU) was established. Given that Ukrainians often do not understand the essence of lobbying, and sometimes even associate it with corruption, the Association faces a large amount of work: from raising the standards of the professional environment to informing society.
“Our main challenge is not to distort the very institution of lobbying, which should unite all the processes that have taken different forms between business and the state over the past decades,” explains Oleksiy Shevchuk, chairman of the board of the National Association of Lobbyists of Ukraine (NALU), lawyer and partner of Barristers.
In an exclusive interview with UA.News, Shevchuk talks about the state of lobbying in Ukraine, why this mechanism is independent of the state, about the priority tasks of NALU, interaction with the NAKC and European institutions in Brussels.
About the institution of lobbying in Ukraine and the challenges facing it today
In Ukraine, the institution of lobbying is currently at the stage of formation. Lobbying itself exists throughout the civilized world — and that’s normal. Lobbying is not about corruption. Lobbying is about using your opportunities and contacts and further transforming these contacts into civilized investment management, civilized management and connections.
Of course, lobbying in Ukraine took various forms. Among the first attempts at lobbying was an attempt to introduce the institution of public-private partnership. But it cannot happen without an investment manager. The “investment” project for business was also an attempt at lobbying.
Therefore, the biggest challenges today are not to distort the very institution of lobbying, which should unite all those processes that have taken different forms between business and the state in recent decades.
About the key goals and objectives of the National Association of Lobbyists
At the first stage of NALU’s activity, first of all, we set the main goal — to unite all effective market participants with the opportunity to provide them with civilized working conditions in this market and with the prospect of establishing quality standards for this work in the future.
We focus on making lobbying a profession. After all, there is still no corresponding KVED – a type of economic activity. We have already appealed to the State Statistics Service with a request to introduce a separate KVED “Benevolent Lobbying”. In the future, the State Statistics Service should ask the Ministry of Economy, which, in turn, should make appropriate adjustments.
Oleksiy Shevchuk, Chairman of the Board of the National Association of Lobbyists of Ukraine (NALU)
We also see a primary need for training lobbyists. Because to become a lobbyist, to join Transparency register anyone can. But the majority of people who want to become professional lobbyists, who are not professional lawyers, but simply effective investment managers, do not know effective skills, tools, and the distinction between lobbyist actions and responsibility for such actions.
Therefore, the National Association of Lobbyists pays a lot of attention to educational programs, we are already effectively implementing them. Recently, we launched the Higher School of Lobbying on the basis of NALU, we have a Board of Trustees, which is the basis for educational programs.
The National Lobbyists Association also focuses on helping would-be lobbyists stay out of the tax trap. And in general, NALU sets itself the task of separating lobbyists from the authorities, making the profession of lobbyists independent. After all, now the realities are such that lobbyists cannot be controlled by the state.
Lobbyists today are an independent profession of an investment manager who can be an effective manager for potential projects for the reconstruction of Ukraine.
How the creation of NALU will affect business relations with civil society and politicians
We expect qualitative changes in this dialogue. For a month now, I have been calling on the head of NAZK not to say anything about lobbyists without lobbyists.
I’m already tired of repeating that the National Agency for the Prevention of Corruption is only the holder of the Transparency Register, that is, it simply keeps track of how many lobbyists we have. But going forward, I will push for the transfer of this Register to the National Lobbyists Association as the regulator of the profession.
Oleksiy Shevchuk, Chairman of the Board of the National Association of Lobbyists of Ukraine (NALU)
Today I emphasize that NALU is a community that sets the standards of the profession. I will explain with an example. We are approached by Black Rock, as an investment institution, and asks: “Is it possible to work with lobbyist Sydorenko? Didn’t he get into trouble?”. Who will answer these questions? NACP? But NAZK is not authorized.
Therefore, the National Association of Lobbyists of Ukraine is actually an outpost for future lobbyists.
About the false statement that lobbying is legalized corruption
Today, lobbying is the management of investment projects for the benefit of the community. And corruption is the pursuit of one’s own personal goals and benefits from large investment projects for the reconstruction of our state. That’s the simple difference.
Is the existing legislation of Ukraine sufficient for the civilized development of lobbying
Ukraine has a Law “On Lobbying”, but it needs to be finalized in terms of access to the profession, in terms of responsibility for actions, as well as in terms of training future lobbyists and their certification. A huge number of issues and regulations now need to be harmonized with this law on lobbying.
An example of civilized official lobbying that meets the international standard of transparency
The latest law on responsibility for identification of lawyers with clients, which was adopted with the assistance of the National Association of Lawyers of Ukraine, is a classic example of civilized lobbying.
When lawyers, as a self-regulating community, gathered, wrote a normative act and sent it to the Verkhovna Rada. Parliamentarians, who were also lawyers in the past and stopped their testimony, looked at the document we proposed and said: “This is cool! This is the protection of the profession. Thank you, as specialists, for pointing out the shortcomings.” It was a classic example of lobbying. By the way, if you open the Transparency Register, then 90% of it is now lawyers.
About the difference between Government Relations (interaction with the state authorities) and lobbying
Lobbyism is a big sea, an ocean. Government Relations is the Persian Gulf, because it is only a small sector. Instead, lobbying unites a large number of civilized spheres of interaction between private and public.
The international model of work and ethical standards on which NALU is oriented
We will navigate with in general on the model of lobbying in Great Britain. According to my feelings and assessments, the existing work and responsibility of lobbyists suits us the most. I express my subjective opinion as the current chairman of the board of the National Association of Lobbyists of Ukraine. It is this model and ethical standards that we will take.
Regarding the Transparency Register, it is important to note that the National Association of Lobbyists of Ukraine has already submitted an application to the European Transparency Register. That is why, in the near future, with the help of the NALU Representation in Brussels and our representative there, we will present the report on lobbying that we have already prepared to the European institutions.
It is obvious that the Association will also deal with the reception of ethical standards for forms of lobbying in continental Europe.
Own standards and mechanisms, taking into account the political and legal specifics of Ukraine
A separate working group will work on this, which will include the most active participants in the lobbying market. But you will have to, so to speak, “fill up the crowd.” We still need to work out the problem.
Because there are already many cases when those who are in the Register of Lobbyists allow themselves to insult colleagues. And the question arises: who allowed you to speak badly about lobbying? About the phenomenon of lobbying? I will say this: “Nothing about lobbyists without lobbyists.”
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“Benevolent lobbying”: Oleksiy Shevchuk called on NAKC to cooperate with the National Association of Lobbyists