The study identifies the growth of social and economic divergence between Ukraine and the EU. The purpose of this paper is to fill a gap in the literature on the scale and dynamics of an upward divergence between Ukraine and the EU by comparing integral indices of social and economic development of both areas. Reaching this goal is important for elaborating new guidelines for cohesion policy of the EU and recommendations on Ukraine’s integration strategy. This research differs from the previously published ones by a new approach to measure social and economic integral indices used for estimating the rate of divergence between Ukraine and the EU. A distinctive feature of the author’s methodology of the integral estimation of social and economic development of Ukraine and the EU-28 is the use of the innovative composition of indicators and the multiplicative form of the integral index, the simultaneous normalization and integral assessment indicators and justification of weights based on the principal component analysis (PCA). Priority areas of social and economic development of Ukraine as a prerequisite for the policy of rapprochement and integration with the EU are diversification of foreign economic relations, ensuring the stability and independence of the financial system, improving the parameters of the social security system, involving drivers of economic development, increasing the level of energy efficiency and energy saving.

The purpose of this article is to make an assessment on infrastructure development efficiency based on Data envelopment analysis (DEA) method. The proposed method allows assessing the level of current infrastructure conditions which provides production and social dimension of its stable development. The article substantiates the necessity of conducting an analytical assessment of infrastructure development level which identifies its weaknesses and determines potential of improving its performance indicators. An integral assessment of transport infrastructure efficiency is proposed. To assess the problems of infrastructure development provision, a comparative analyses and ordering the objects according to growth or decrease of the indicators is performed. The results of the research allow discovering the causes of harmful phenomena in the system of management and development, and identifies major trends and prospects of development.

The purpose of the article is to assess the impact of the investment and innovation components on the econom-ic development of Ukraine regions using the taxonomy method. The proposed method allows determining the object state level in a general set of objects, and ordering the objects according to growth or decrease of the indicators. The article substantiates the necessity to assess the dynamics of the regional economic development level in order to identify the reserves and capacities for increasing profitability and efficiency of further activities. The integral indicator of the regions’ development level is calculated. The comparative analysis is carried out within the framework of the proposed model. The research results suggest that the proposed model ena-bles us to trace the causes of the negative phenomena occurrence in the activities of the regions, to prevent their occurrence, and to develop complex managerial influences to provide the state with a vector of positive development.