The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine approved the amendments to the Perspective Plan for the Formation of Territorial Hromadas of the Donetsk Oblast – the territory, uncontrolled by the Ukrainian authorities, was divided into 20 potential AHs. It does not yet mean implementation of reforms in the occupied territory – since decentralisation is possible only after the Ukrainian authorities return there.

Experts from MinRegion, Donetsk Oblast State Administration, as well as the team of the Donetsk Local Government Development Centre of the U-LEAD with Europe Programme took active part in discussions of the format of AHs. According to the updated Perspective Plan, it is planned to form 20 amalgamated hromadas on the temporarily uncontrolled Ukrainian territory. In total, 65 AHs should be established on the entire territory of the Donetsk Oblast.

“11 AHs are currently functioning in the Donetsk Oblast. The youngest of them include the Bakhmutska urban AH, established in late 2019 by joining the rural area to the city of oblast significance. Another seven hromadas have passed amalgamation procedure, but are waiting for the CEC to appoint the first elections. They are not appointed for various reasons, the main ones include security issue and the problems with administrative-territorial system regulation,” says Maksym Tkach, decentralisation adviser of the Donetsk LGDC.

Regarding the temporarily uncontrolled territory, the Perspective Plan proposes formation of different hromadas: urban, rural and settlement ones.

“Potential AHs on a temporarily uncontrolled territory are considered to be capable with regard to economic and social indicators valid five years old. At present, there is no possibility to obtain reliable information on the state of economy in this part of the Donetsk Oblast. Therefore, the formats of amalgamated hromadas proposed in the new Perspective Plan can be adjusted in future,” commented Maksym Tkach.

The Donetsk Oblast occupies the tenth place according to the general rating of oblasts in terms of AH formation.

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