On 16 May 2016 the Parliamentary Committee on State Building, Regional Policy and Local Self-government with the support of its international partners including the Council of Europe Programme “Decentralisation and Territorial Consolidation in Ukraine” held the round table discussion “Legal framework on starosta institution introduced in amalgamated territorial communities”.

The event was chaired by the member of the Parliament, Head of the above-mentioned Parliamentary Committee Mr Serhiy Vlasenko with more than 150 participants: MPs, local governments and their associations, newly elected starostas, heads of amalgamated communities, Cabinet of Ministers, central executive authorities, Ukrainian NGOs, international organisations, experts.

Participants discussed problems related to practice and legal framework of the starosta institution in Ukraine. First deputy Minister of Regional Development, Construction and Municipal Economy of Ukraine Viacheslav Nehoda among key challenges listed the following ones: electoral mechanism and its funding sources, remuneration scheme, expediency of starosta’s membership in the council’s executive committee, needs for improving existing legal framework. Further steps were proposed by some participants such as amending new draft laws “On Service in the Local Self-Government Bodies of Ukraine” and “On Self-Organisation Bodies of Population” as regards to starosta status, provision of notary and administrative services. 

The Council of Europe was represented by the Special Adviser to the Government of Ukraine on decentralisation Mr. Daniel POPESCU who underlined that, while European standards concerning municipal amalgamation (Art.5 of the European Charter on Local Self-Government  and Rec(2004)12 ) are silent on this institution, there exists European good practice as there are other member states that have established similar institutions, in particular in the context of municipal amalgamation reforms.  According to Mr. Popescu, the status, remuneration and mode of appointment of starosta depend on his/her functions. Typically, such functions evolve in time: if right after the amalgamation the representative functions seems to be the most important in order to reassure citizens of component villages or settlements that their interests are taken into account in the new larger municipality, in time these functions have a tendency to evolve more towards service provision to citizens of the respective village. This is why whatever status is decided for the Ukrainian starosta now, it will likely need to be review in a few years.