Today, 12 May 2017, the Local Government Development Centre (LGDC) opened its 10^th Regional Centre in Zakarpattya with support of the EU-funded programme “Ukraine – Local Empowerment, Accountability and Development” (U-LEAD with Europe) and the Ministry for Regional Development, Construction, Housing and Communal Services of Ukraine (MinRegion). Moreover, today the 9^th Regional Centre was inaugurated in Kherson. Additionally, 14 more centres to be established in all the other Ukrainian regions by early summer this year.

First Deputy Minister of the MinRegion Vyacheslav Nehoda, along with GIZ Programme Director of U-LEAD with Europe Bastian Veigel and authorities of Zakarpattya region, took part in the official opening of the LGDC Regional Centre in Uzhgorod.

"I would like this regional office to become the centre, which can unite all advocates of the reform and efficient local government,” said Vyacheslav Nehoda. “This is the joint facility for the region state administration and the regional council, members of the public, representatives of local government, and all the donors".

According to Nehoda, it was his first opening of the LGDC regional centre. He thanked the representatives of the EU and U-LEAD with Europe for ongoing support to decentralisation.

Bastian Veigel said he is honoured to be in the geographical centre of Europe at the opening ceremony: "It is important to ensure that the LGDC regional centre provides tangible support, coordinated with key stakeholders, who carry the political responsibility”. Veigel emphasised: “The regional centre will also share good practices from other Ukrainian regions and European countries to inspire the territorial reform in Zakarpattya. It is a prerequisite and an incentive for the further unfolding of decentralisation with an aim to improve the quality of administrative services and the living conditions of people”.

The Local Government Development Centre (LGDC) is the non-profit entity with 24 Regional Centres, established to build the capacity of Ukrainian state and local government authorities at the central, regional and local level in close coordination with the MinRegion. Zakarpattya is Ukraine’s only region, which does not have the officially approved plan for creating amalgamated communities. Currently, there are only five communities like this, established in the region.

Background Information: The U-LEAD with Europe Programme is a multi-donor action of the European Union and its member states, Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Poland and Sweden, supporting the Ukrainian government in implementation of the milestone decentralisation reform in Ukraine. U-LEAD with Europe is implemented during 2016-2020 by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) in partnership with the Ministry of Regional Development, Construction, Housing and Communal Services of Ukraine (MinRegion).

More information can be found on: www.u-lead.org.ua