Rada passes law on distribution of powers between public governance levels

Verkhovna Rada deputies passed with 269 votes in the first reading government bill No. 14412 on the principles of demarcation and distribution of powers between levels of public governance.

"This is one of the Ukraine Facility markers, and its adoption will unlock further funding from the European Union under this program. The bill aims to define the legal grounds for the demarcation and distribution of powers of local self-government bodies at various levels, as well as executive authorities, based on the principles of subsidiarity and decentralization," reported Olena Shuliak, head of the parliamentary committee on state power organization, local self-government, regional development, and urban planning.

The provisions of the bill propose to define the basic principles of demarcation and distribution of powers between levels of public governance; levels of public governance (state, regional, and local) and the entities between which powers are distributed; and criteria for assigning powers to the appropriate level of government. It also outlines the procedure for delegating state powers to local self-government bodies, mechanisms for coordination and interaction between different levels of government, and requirements for financial, personnel, and information support for the execution of powers.

Shuliak noted that work on the bill was conducted in a broad format within the activities of the relevant working group.

"The decentralization reform has been ongoing for more than a year. Communities have received many opportunities. At the same time, a complex of systemic challenges has accumulated. Rights and obligations, resources and powers, local democracy and the balance between levels of government, the principle of subsidiarity and the real capacity of communities – all this is not yet fully formed as a high-quality legislative framework. European integration has increased requirements for the quality of decisions and the consistency of the entire system, so our Committee, together with the government and international partners, continues to work on overcoming these challenges," Shuliak concluded.