FINANCIAL AND LEGAL REGULATION OF LEASING OPERATIONS IN UKRAINE IN THE CONTEXT OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.66556/2522-4549.51.loboda-n1Keywords:
financial and legal regulation, leasing, financial law, civil law contract, legal regime of leasing assets, ESG, sustainable development, legislative harmonization, IFRS 16, Law of Ukraine "On Financial Leasing", legal protection of contract parties, European integrationAbstract
The aim of the study is a comprehensive analysis of the financial and legal regulation of leasing operations in Ukraine, identification of gaps and conflicts in current legislation, and substantiation of directions for harmonizing the national regulatory framework with European Union law in the context of sustainable development principles and ESG criteria integration. To achieve this aim, a comprehensive set of methods was applied: comparative legal analysis of the norms of the Civil and Commercial Codes of Ukraine, the Law of Ukraine "On Financial Leasing" and relevant EU directives; content analysis of regulatory acts; statistical analysis of the banking leasing market for 2022–2025 to assess the impact of legal regulation on market dynamics; as well as comparison of national standards with the requirements of IFRS 16 "Leases" as a tool for legal harmonization of financial reporting. The results indicate that the legal framework for leasing relations in Ukraine, despite the update of the Law "On Financial Leasing," remains fragmented and insufficiently integrated with international standards. It was established that financial leasing in Ukraine in 2025–2026 shows signs of stabilization and rapid recovery; however, existing legal gaps – particularly regarding the legal status of ESG leasing assets, mechanisms for protecting parties to agreements under martial law and force majeure circumstances – create risks for market participants. Directions for improving the legal regulation of leasing operations are proposed, taking into account sustainable development principles and the recommendations of EU Directive 2022/2464 on sustainability reporting. The scientific novelty lies in the comprehensive combination of financial-legal, comparative-legal, and socio-environmental aspects of leasing relations analysis, allowing the substantiation of a new regulatory model integrated with ESG criteria. The practical significance lies in the possibility of using the findings to improve leasing legislation, develop bylaws on the legal regime of "green" leasing assets, and establish the legal foundations for corporate sustainability reporting.References
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