The process of accession of rural and settlement hromadas to cities of oblast significance goes on. Three dozen cities are now actively establishing partnerships with neighbouring hromadas. And 11 cities of oblast significance have already completed accession procedures, as reported by the Association of Ukrainian Cities.

According to the Association, 9 village councils have joined the city of Lozova; 5 village councils accessed the city of Rzhyshchiv; the cities of Voznesensk, Shostka, Novhorod-Siverskyi, Hadyach, Slavuta, Zhytomyr, Novodnistrovsk adjoined by 1 village council each; 4 village councils accessed Kolomyia and 3 – the city of Bucha.

Another 19 cities are at the stage of completing formal procedures that will allow adjoining surrounding hromadas.

However, barriers to forming AHs with centres in the cities of oblast significance have not been eliminated so far – out of 30 cities that have started accession procedures, 12 do not comply with the perspective plans. According to the Association of Ukrainian Cities, 87 cities of oblast significance are limited by perspective plans in terms of accession. Oblast state administrations can work together with oblast councils to change the situation by amending the perspective plans for the formation of hromadas of the oblasts.

Vyacheslav Nehoda, First Deputy Minister of Regional Development, Construction, Housing and Communal Services, has previously stated that if, for some reason, oblasts are not ready to offer a complete optimal model of hromadas’ development in their regions, the time will come for the Government and the Parliament to do so.