On 2 February in the Council of Europe HQ the event “Decentralisation in Ukraine: Achievements and Perspectives” took place. Secretary General of the Council of Europe Thorbjørn JAGLAND, Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine – Minister of Regional Development, Construction and Municipal Economy Hennadii ZUBKO were among speakers at the opening session of the event.
Ukraine urgently needs an inclusive and sustainable political settlement on which lasting peace can be built, and decentralisation remains a major part of it, said Thorbjørn Jagland. He acknowledged the important steps that have been taken over the past two years, including the development of key legislation, progress in restructuring of local government in some 370 communities and the decentralisation of fiscal decision making which is under way.
Mr Jagland pledged the Council of Europe’s continued support to the decentralisation process in order to ensure that the country’s laws fully comply with the principles of the European Charter of Local Self-Government. He also stressed the importance of giving decentralisation an inclusive, constitutional basis that would help the reconciliation process and help unite the country.
Deputy Prime Minister Hennadii Zubko expressed his gratitude for the support given by all Council of Europe institutions to the decentralisation in Ukraine, and said he hoped this theme will also be covered in the next Action plan for Ukraine for 2018 and beyond.
First Deputy Minister Nehoda presented the history of state policy development in the area as well as legal framework amendments which practically launched the comprehensive reform implementation: Concept of the Reform of Local Self-Government and Territorial Organisation of Power, amendments to Budget and Tax Codes, laws “On voluntary amalgamation of territorial communities” and “On co-operation of territorial communities”. Among the key achievements of fiscal decentralisation he mentioned significant increase of share of local budgets within the consolidated budget of Ukraine: 45,6% in 2015, 47,5% in 2016 and 49,3% in 2017. First Deputy Minister also informed about the State support to infrastructural development of newly amalgamated communities: 1383 infrastructural projects funded by the State subvention.
According to Mr Nehoda, one of the key success indicators of the reform process is positive dynamics of population’s support for decentralisation: 64% consider the reform necessary (in 2015 – 60%) – as reported as a result of the Second National Opinion Poll on decentralisation and local self-government reform commissioned by the Council of Europe Programme “Decentralisation and territorial consolidation in Ukraine”.
To read the speech by Thorbjørn JAGLAND click here.
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