KYIV. Aug 17 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Provisions in bill No. 5655 on reforming urban planning activities adopted at first reading run counter to international rules of architectural activity, which will lead to the impossibility of attracting international architects to work in Ukraine, the Architectural Chamber of the National Union of Architects of Ukraine has said.

The Chamber sent an open letter to Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Dmytro Razumkov, urging parliament to take into account the proposals of the architectural community in the bill.

"The bill cannot be adopted in its current form, because, firstly, it is impossible to reform urban planning and architectural activities without architects. Secondly, without architects, no one can guarantee the safety, aesthetics of the spaces and buildings that you enter. The proposed scheme deprives not only architects have rights, but the whole society deprives the right to beautiful and comfortable cities, high-quality and aesthetic space in Ukraine," Deputy Chairperson of the Architectural Chamber of the National Union of Architects Anna Kyrii said at a press conference at Interfax-Ukraine on Tuesday.

According to her, the document states that the architect is automatically deprived of copyright for all objects built using budgetary funds at the stage of signing the contract. "This is in sharp contrast to the norms of international law," Kyrii said.

The bill on the reform of the sphere of urban planning discriminates against the profession of an architect and endangers its existence in Ukraine, , Head of the Chernihiv regional branch of the Architectural Chamber of the National Union of Architects Tetiana Mazur said.

"The key theses of the bill neutralize the role of the architect in the process of creating an object and carrying out professional architectural supervision. At the same time, property rights to the project as intellectual property have been transferred to the customer, but responsibility for violation of design decisions remains with the architect," she said.

According to the open letter, the Architectural Chamber proposes that the text of the bill is harmonized, not only the interests of developers, but also the interests of the public, local government and the architectural community are taken into account, and they are involved in editing the provisions of the bill.

The experts proposed that international standards of urban planning and the principles of self-government of professional associations are taken into account. In addition, it is proposed that the rights and obligations of the chief architect of the project, including in local governments and self-regulatory organizations, are restored.

It is also proposed that the public is provided with more rights when discussing construction projects and development of territories.

Kyrii said that the Chamber has developed amendments to the bill, taking into account the interests of architects and the public, but the profile committee of the parliament does not discuss them.