Kyiv, 20 May 2015 – On 20 May 2015, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe and the Ukrainian national authorities signed a roadmap for implementation of the decentralisation reform in Ukraine. The signing of this roadmap follows the adoption by the Congress of a recommendation on the situation of local democracy in Ukraine and constructive post-monitoring dialogue on the European Charter of Local Self-Government since 2014.

“With the ambitious reform process it has set in motion, Ukraine is today an illustration of the fact that real political change is possible”, said Jean-Claude Frécon, President of the Congress, at the official ceremony. “This signing marks our joint commitment to work towards better local democracy rooted in the principles of the European Charter of Local Self-Government and better democracy in general founded on universally recognised values and principles”, he added.

For his part, Marc Cools (Belgium, ILDG), Congress rapporteur on the situation of local democracy in Ukraine, stressed that “the Ukrainian example deserves to be cited as a reference in other countries engaged on a similar process of implementation of Congress recommendations”.

In particular, the Congress encourages the Ukrainian authorities to adopt the constitutional amendments relating to local self-government as soon as possible in order be able to hold local elections in October 2015.

The Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Regional Development, Construction, Housing and Communal Services, Hennadiy Zubco, and the Deputy Minister for Regional Development, Construction, Housing and Communal Services, Vyacheslav Nehoda, reaffirmed the Ukrainian government’s readiness to continue co-operating closely with the Congress and welcomed its support and assistance in the current reform of the Constitution.

Other post-monitoring dialogues are in progress with the governments of Georgia, Portugal, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Armenia. These should also lead to the drawing up of a roadmap for implementation of the Congress recommendations.

Roadmap for Ukraine: French | English | Ukrainian

Statement by Jean-Claude Frécon (French)

Statement by Marc Cools (French)

Special file on the Congress and Ukraine

Contact: Stéphanie Poirel, [email protected]

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