On 16 November, next Thursday, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine will once again consider the planned draft laws necessary to accelerate decentralisation process. Hundreds of amalgamated hromadas and thousands of hromadas in the process of amalgamation are awaiting the adoption of these laws.

At the moment people's deputies plan to consider only four out of the nine required draft laws the list of which is available by the link.

The draft laws necessary to establish capable hromadas:

No 4773 "On Amendments to the Budget Code of Ukraine (regarding voluntary accession of hromadas)". It will provide financing for the amalgamated hromadas recognised by the Government as capable, as well as hromadas that have acceded the AHs.

No 6466 "On Amendments to the Law of Ukraine "On Voluntary Amalgamation of Hromadas" regarding voluntary accession of hromadas of villages and rural settlements to hromadas of the cities of oblast significance". It will unblock the process of establishment of capable hromadas around the cities of oblast significance, equate hromadas of the cities of oblast significance to capable amalgamated hromadas, and introduce a mechanism for the voluntary accession of hromadas to the cities.

The draft law necessary to ensure the omnipresence of local self-government and spatial planning:

No 6403 "On Amendments to the Law of Ukraine "On Urban Development Regulation". The issue of elaboration of the spatial planning documentation for the amalgamated hromadas, that include different settlements (from 2 to 50 settlements), is still not adjusted. At present, amalgamated hromadas cannot elaborate and approve a single urban development documentation for the entire hromadas’ territory.

The draft law provides amalgamated hromadas with the uniform documentation on spatial planning – that is the plan of the amalgamated hromada. It also broadens the powers of amalgamated hromadas regarding the regulation of the development of territories, and creates a mechanism for the consideration of public interests in the course of elaboration and approval of urban development documentation.

The draft law necessary to extend the powers of local self-government bodies on land resources management:

No 7118 "On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of Ukraine on Land Resources Management within the Territory of Amalgamated Hromadas". The powers of the local self-government bodies on land resources management are not extended to the land outside the settlements within a single hromada. The draft law extends the powers of the local self-government bodies in the field of land relations, and entitles village, rural settlement and city councils of amalgamated hromadas with the authority to dispose of the land within the territory of the respective hromadas, including that outside the settlements.