A new Draft Law ‘On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of Ukraine Regarding Ensuring Legality and Transparency in the Activities of Local Governments’ (No. 14048), has been registered in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.

This information was announced by MP Vitalii Bezgin.

Last week, the Parliament failed to pass a similar Draft Law No. 13150. This decision has already had tangible consequences: Ukraine has lost hundreds of millions of euros that it will no longer receive under the Ukraine Facility programme, since the receipt of these funds is directly linked to the implementation of effective state supervision of local government decisions.

‘Last week, we all witnessed how the failure of the vote cost Ukraine hundreds of millions of euros from the Ukraine Facility. This is more than just money; it represents an investment in our trust and our capacity to establish strong communities and a transparent state. Decentralisation without accountability is an illusion. If we are truly moving towards the EU, we must have fair and clear rules: community decisions must comply with the law, and the state is obliged to ensure this supervision. The new Draft Law is a test of Ukraine’s maturity and political will,’ emphasised Vitalii Bezgin.

The Draft Law aims to:

• establish a system of state supervision over the acts of local governments;
• clearly delineate the powers of state authorities in the field of law enforcement;
• create mechanisms for responding to illegal decisions (demanding their removal or appealing to the courts);
• form a personnel reserve for the positions of heads of district state administrations;

According to the Council of Europe, Ukraine is currently the only European country that lacks a legally defined mechanism for monitoring the legality of local government acts. This is why the adoption of this law is so important for the ongoing reform of local self-government based on the principle of decentralisation, and for bringing the Ukrainian governance system closer to European standards.

According to its authors, the Draft Law will be a key step in implementing the Concept of Reforming Local Self-Government and Territorial Organisation of Power in Ukraine.