Transformation of the administrative and legal regime of renewable energy in Ukraine: an analysis of Draft Law No. 14271

The article examines the transformation of the administrative and legal regime governing renewable energy in Ukraine in connection with the development and submission of Draft Law No. 14271, aimed at implementing the provisions of European Union law in the field of renewable energy sources, in particular the requirements of Directives (EU) 2018/2001 (RED II) and 2023/2413 (RED III), as well as the related acts of EU secondary legislation. It is substantiated that, under contemporary conditions, the use of energy from renewable sources extends beyond the scope of sector-specific policy and acquires the character of a complex object of public administration, closely linked to issues of energy security, the fulfilment of international obligations, and the protection of the rights of economic operators. The article demonstrates that Draft Law No. 14271 is not confined to the formal transposition of EU legal norms, but lays the foundations for a new model of public administration in the renewable energy sector, characterised by the harmonisation of terminology, the modernisation of procedural mechanisms, and enhanced transparency of administrative decision-making. The significance of harmonising the definitions of biofuels, bioliquids, biomass, renewable fuels of non-biological origin, guarantees of origin and statistical transfers is analysed as a prerequisite for legal certainty and coherent law-application practice. Particular attention is devoted to the reform of authorisation procedures, the introduction of the “one-stop shop” principle, the shortening of administrative time limits, and the institutionalisation of a methodology for calculating gross final consumption of energy from renewable sources. The role of new legal institutions – renewable energy communities, jointly acting consumers, and renewable acceleration areas – is highlighted in reshaping the balance between the controlling and service functions of the state and in fostering a decentralised model of energy governance. It is concluded that Draft Law No. 14271 establishes a coherent administrative and legal regime for facilitating the development of renewable energy, combining administrative simplification with the preservation of environmental standards, while simultaneously strengthening guarantees of the rights of economic operators through legal certainty, predictable procedures, and enhanced accountability of public authorities.