LETTER FROM THE UKRAINIAN ASSOCIATION ICEG TO ARIC

Following the online meeting on May 19, 2022, between the representatives of ARIC and those of ICEG – Association of Engineers of Ukraine, the president of ARIC, Mr. President Dinu Popescu received a letter from ICEG summarizing the needs they have in Ukraine as a result of the Russian armed aggression and the support they are requesting from Romanian specialists.

“Dear Mr. Popescu,

The Public Union “Interstate Consultants Engineers Guild” (ICEG) would like to pay its respect and gratitude to you for supporting initiatives to strengthen cooperation, taking into account the complex tasks and challenges that our country is facing during the Russian armed aggression.
ICEG, as an independent professional association comprising more than 50 legal entities providing engineering and consulting services in construction (among them over 10 foreign companies), and more than 1,000 independent engineers (consultants), works hard for the development of the domestic construction industry based on the best European practices.
Together with our members – self-regulatory organizations of design engineers, design verification experts and technical supervision engineers, who are delegated the authority to regulate the market, ICEG is the largest engineering association in Ukraine. Our specialists are involved in scientific, technical and public councils and task groups of the relevant committee of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, the Ministry for Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine (Minregion), the State Road Agency of Ukraine (Ukravtodor), the National Standardization Body, and other authorities. They are assistants and consultants to People’s Deputies of Ukraine on a voluntary basis. We cooperate with many European projects in Ukraine. In almost all major construction projects, design, design verification and technical supervision are carried out by our members.
ICEG is a member of the European Federation of Engineering Consultancy Associations (EFCA), it represents the interests of its members in the national and international bodies and government agencies, promotes progressive legislative changes and initiatives, provides a wide range of educational events and publications, actively establishes partnerships with National Associations of consulting engineers and leading engineering companies around the globe.
Since the Russian armed aggression, ICEG has been actively involved in solving priority tasks related, first of all, to the restoration of damaged and destroyed infrastructure and housing facilities. The scale and specifics of losses require studying the international experience of conducting surveys (inspection) of buildings and structures after large-scale disasters, as well as developing new approaches to the implementation of such surveys for emergency operation of life-support utilities in the regions suffering losses, even in the areas under attacks.
First of all, we are interested to learn more about the experience of Romania in the methodology of surveying war-damaged/natural disasters/explosions of buildings and structures, and general approaches to decision-making on the feasibility of rebuilding destroyed facilities (possibly available analytical materials, regulations, building codes and standards, approved methods and guidance developed on their basis). Based on the analysis and generalization of such international experience, we develop proposals to improve Ukrainian legislation and survey methods for the authorities, with which we constantly cooperate.
Decisions on the reasonability of the reconstruction of facilities and further reconstruction after the end of hostilities will be the next step.
We also are seeking experience exchange and improving the skills of experts who conduct surveys of destroyed or damaged buildings and structures from the very beginning of the war. Online consultations/case meetings of experienced international experts on a volunteer basis would be effective for the most complex affected sites. We would also be sincerely grateful for the contacts of specialists who have experience in inspecting buildings and structures damaged, for example, by 2 natural disasters, or survey experts with experience abroad in similar conditions (Syria, the former Yugoslavia, etc.) who could join meetings with Ukrainian experts.
Any methodological assistance, informational and organizational support on issues related to the activities of the market of engineering and consulting services in the context of Russian armed aggression in Ukraine will be invaluable for ICEG and each of our members.
At the same time, after the end of hostilities, the coordination of joint efforts to rebuild Ukraine, including the involvement of foreign companies in projects with local firms, will become relevant. It should be noted that entering the Ukrainian market of foreign companies requires some preparatory steps now: it is necessary to determine the forms of organization of such companies in Ukraine (representative office, subsidiary, consortium), get acquainted with the features of procurement, economic and urban planning legislation, search for partners and local staff. For its part, ICEG is ready to provide organizational support to the preparatory processes for legitimizing the activities of such companies in Ukraine and advise on choosing the most effective format.
Best regards,
Dr. Prof. Oleksandr Nepomnyashchyy
Merited Builder of Ukraine”

To the extent that you can make a professional contribution to support our Ukrainian colleagues in the sense set out in the letter above, please contact the ARIC Secretariat.