Despite a number of reforms, Ukraine has not created the necessary environment to stimulate entrepreneurial activity, active investment inflows and economic growth in the regions. The article analyzes the assessment of the business environment of Ukraine according to different world ratings and comparative assessment of the business environment of Ukraine and other countries. Risks for the development of the business environment in Ukraine have been identified. An assessment of the interdependence between the quality of the business environment in the regions of Ukraine and the growth rate of GRP. The analysis of regional features of the quality of the business environment in Ukraine shows positive changes in all regions in terms of ease of business registration, land registration, connection to the grid and difficulties with paying local taxes and the development of electronic services. However, the achieved results have not yet been converted into a stable dynamics of economic growth and increasing the level of Ukraine's competitiveness in the world economy. Among the main problems of business environment development are low level of protection of intellectual property and property of business entities, inefficiency of the judicial system in Ukraine, low level of financial and investment freedom of business, unavailability of credit resources for starting and conducting business. Interregional comparisons of the business environment and economic growth of Ukraine's regions prove that the leading regions in terms of economic growth are characterized by a relatively higher quality of business climate, moreover, in recent years they have increased their position in the regional ranking of ease of doing business. At the same time, the largest group of regions in Ukraine, which still manages to maintain a positive pace of economic development, are outsiders in terms of both the quality of the business climate and the loss of ranking positions. The most difficult situation with the business environment has developed in such industrial regions as Zaporizhia, Poltava, Kharkiv regions. That is, the regions, which have always focused on large enterprises in the industrial sector, have not yet been able to refocus on supporting entrepreneurship and stimulating entrepreneurial activity.

The transformation of vocational education and training (VET) systems has become a strategic priority for achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly in the context of accelerating global economic transitions. This article examines how EU member states modify their VET systems to address evolving labor market demands and align with the objectives of SDGs 4, 8, and 10, utilizing system alignment, decentralization, infrastructure development, stakeholder engagement, and investment in green and digital skills. The article analyzed the influence of these five strategies. Using cross-national comparative analysis and multidimensional indicators, the study reveals that strong partnerships with labor market stakeholders and investments in green and digital transitions significantly enhance the responsiveness and sustainability of VET systems. However, assumptions related to the decentralization of governance and infrastructure expansion were not consistently supported, indicating the need for a more nuanced approach to policy reform. The findings offer practical implications for VET policy design, emphasizing flexibility, system coherence, and future-oriented planning. This study contributes to the growing body of research that links education systems to sustainable economic development. The research also concludes that innovative management models—combining flexible governance, labor-market intelligence, and digital innovation—are central to modernizing VET and improving its adaptability to future skill needs.

In the last two years, Ukraine and the world have been living in economic instability caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has fundamentally changed the trends in global and domestic economies, public and local finance. This study aims to estimate the trends of economic development of Ukrainian regions in the coronavirus crisis and their impact on the local budgets’ tax revenues generation. Main findings show the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on the development of Ukrainian regions is territorially differentiated. It is determined that in quarantine restrictions, the regions were developing under the impact of behavioral and institutional factors. Although a range of enterprises terminated their activities and there was a decline in income from business activities in 2020, the tax revenues of local budgets increased. The growth of tax revenues was accompanied by decreasing interbudgetary transfers and growing expenditures on containing the spread of pandemics and supporting healthcare. Reduced transfers to local budgets from the public budget affected the funding of investment programs of regional development. The abovementioned effects of falling business activity and consumer expenditures of the population along with falling investment can be considered the delayed effects of economic activity curtailment in the short-term period. An intensive increase of public investment that stipulates projects co-funding from budget funds and resources of businesses and establishment of cooperation between public, regional, and local levels of government should become among the primary steps to overcome the negative trends.

Purpose. The purpose of the article is to identify the spatial features of the social-economic development of territorial communities in the context of administrative and financial decentralization. Methodology /approach. The method of system analysis is used in the work – to research the spheres of central-peripheral interactions at the level of territorial communities; method of comparative analysis – to identify trends in the formation and development of interactions between the center and the periphery in communities and the factors that determine them; abstract-logical method – for the formation of theoretical generalizations and formulation of conclusions from the research; method of graphic visualization, which allows providing a clear presentation of the results of the analysis; sociological survey of chairmen of local councils of territorial communities of Lviv region – to determine the state of development of central-peripheral interactions in their communities. The key role of territorial and systemic approaches to the analysis of core-peripheral interactions in territorial communities is emphasized, which made it expedient to form a research method based on taking into account the conditions for the development of a particular environment and existing spatial restrictions. Results. The article identifies the features of the formation of core-peripheral interactions in the territorial communities of rural areas. It is focused on the formation of derivative core-peripheral interactions that arise in the territorial communities created during the implementation of administrative-territorial reform. On the basis of a systematic and comprehensive analysis, the existing and hidden core-peripheral dependencies were identified and the features of the mutual influence of the centers of the united territorial communities of the rural areas of the Lviv region on the socio-economic development of the community territory were revealed. The problems and risks of the development of the territory of the community are substantiated in the context of the mutual influence of a derivative nature. Originality / scientific novelty. A scientific approach to the identification of central-peripheral interactions in territorial communities was developed, which allows identifying the spatial effects of social, economic, managerial interactions of the center and the periphery within the community. A scientific-and-methodological approach to the assessment of central-peripheral interactions was developed, which provides for the selection of community groups according to certain criteria (community type (urban / rural / urban), community composition, location in the region) and their diagnosis in areas: analysis of strategic documents of local council on the development of central-peripheral interactions in a community; analysis of the management structure of the local council, representation of peripheral communities, compliance of the composition and structure of the governing body with the goals of community development; analysis of budget support for infrastructure development; research of employment opportunities in the community. The application of the approach will reveal the patterns of formation of central-peripheral interactions at the level of territorial communities. Practical value / implications. The results of the study make it possible to have a more comprehensive assessment of the state of the formation of central-peripheral interactions in territorial communities, contribute to the identification of risks of social conflict between different groups in the community and to form recommendations for their activation. The results are recommended for consideration by local governments when preparing proposals for socio-economic development and ensuring the financial capacity of local communities.

Internal migration caused by the war of russia against Ukraine (with the active phase starting in February 2022) has increased the socio-economic burden on the host communities welcoming internally displaced population from the frontline and occupied territories. On the other hand, it intensifies behavioral reflections of local residents on the integration of internally displaced persons (IDPs). The study aims to identify opportunities, challenges, and prospects for IDPs’ adaptation in host communities (a case study of Lviv oblast, Ukraine). The paper conducted a sociological survey among 2,500 respondents in November 2022–February 2023. The results show that the lack of housing, lack of permanent employment, language contradictions, and forced limited contact with relatives who remain in the combat zone are existential barriers to the integration of IDPs into host communities. The study identified such opportunities for the integration of IDPs into the host society: reducing the risk of depopulation of territories, reducing imbalances in the local labor market in certain sectors of the economy, strengthening social cohesion, developing small businesses, and improving social infrastructure. The respective challenges include increased social tension, competition for jobs and housing, shortage of places in preschool institutions, and disproportionate distribution of budget funds between the local population and IDPs. Conflicts between IDPs and local residents, as well as IDPs and local authorities, require a proactive position of local authorities to initiate psychological support programs and create communication platforms for the exchange of individual experiences and discussion of psychological and emotional issues.

The study aims to determine the systemic prerequisites for shaping the local budgets’ tax revenue and analyze its impact on the development of municipalities in developed countries.The authors examine the impact of the following factors on the municipal budgets’ tax revenue: the behavioural patterns of economic entities (in particular, in terms of property management), the role of the state in shaping the municipal budgets’ tax revenue, and the comprehension of the nature of the tax.Using the example of defining the economic nature of personal income tax, the article proves (based on the analysis of municipal budgets’ tax revenue in EU countries) that the policy of local governments regarding the accumulation of the tax for their budgets changes as the essential characteristics of the tax change.Based on a comparison of the experience of municipalities in developed countries, the authors identify the factors influencing property taxation systems that shape property tax revenue: differences in the structure of the economy and the effects of its change, behavioural reactions of economic entities and existing traditions of property ownership in different countries, peculiarities of the property market development in various countries, etc. Trends in the structure of the economy and their potential impact on the tax capacity of local budgets are analyzed. The need for diversification of tax revenue sources to provide municipalities with an adequate level of resilience in the face of constant economic changes and permanent crises is emphasized.