At today’s session Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine has adopted as a whole the first draft law in the package of draft laws on local self-governance reforms, developed by the Workgroup on reformation of local self-governance and territorial organization of authority under supervision of Vice-prome-minister, Minister of resgional development, construcition and housing and communal economy, Volodymyr Groysman.

274 people’s deputies voted for the draft law “On Cooperation of Territorial Communities”.

Volodymyr Groysman, who presented the draft law, thanked the deputies for support, stressing that this document provides communities with an effective mechanism for unification of their efforts and resources for solution of relevant issues.

“The document envisions unification of efforts of territorial communities, creation of joint government bodies, joint enterprises, unification of budgetary resources, which will provide communities with an opportunity to solve the problems they are facing. This draft law is long-awaited-for by territorial communities of villages, urban-type settlements, and cities”, Volodymyr Groisman said.

Addressing the people’s deputies, the official stressed that today’s society expected changes to be introduced into the Constitution of Ukraine, particularly, changes concerning local self-governance. These changes are already developed and require the parliament’s support.

“In the changes of the Constitution, in the part on local self-governance, we have provided for election of local authorities, ubiquity of local self-government, and financial capacity of communities to resolve relevant issues. Besides, we have to provide for community and state control over the actions of local self-government bodes, which get the authority and huge responsibility to the public” Vice Prime Minister said.

It should be reminded that, beside the just-adopted draft law “On Cooperation of Territorial Commmunities”, a draft law “On Voluntary Unification of Territorial Communities” was developed (and approved by the Government on June 11, 2014). Besides, the Workgroup is working on proposals as to the introduction of changes into the Budget code of Ukraine, and other laws, needed for strengthening of financial basis of local self-governance. Also, the legislators continue working on the new version of the draft law “On Local Self-government” and other documents, being developed in accordance to the Concept of local self-governance reform and territorial organization of authority, adopted by the Government on April 1, 2014.