The draft framework law on the delineation of powers between state authorities and communities is in its final preparation stage. This was announced in an interview with the Decentralisation portal by Oleksii Riabykin, Deputy Minister for Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine.

‘The draft law consists of two parts. The first part defines the principles, criteria, and foundations for the delineation of powers. This establishes clear rules for all parties to follow. The second part concerns the sectoral delineation of powers, meaning the specific delineation of functions between the state and communities in various areas,’ explained Deputy Minister.

According to the Deputy Minister, the strategy is to first register a draft framework law setting out general principles, and then formalise the details of sectoral delineation in a separate draft law.

‘The most important thing is that the discussion is constructive, not destructive. After all, the ultimate goal is to establish a consensus that will form the basis for further local self-government reform and subsequent steps in decentralisation,’ emphasised Oleksii Riabykin.

Currently, Mr Riabykin says that the working group is finalising the first part of the document.

‘We plan to ask MPs to register the draft law next week. I am confident that this step will be taken in the near future,’ stated Mr Riabykin.

Oleksii Riabykin emphasised that the delineation of powers has legal and financial significance:

‘A clear delineation of powers will be essential for reviewing the financial basis of these powers. Imagine a community in the historic centre of an agglomeration. The legal entity is registered there, but employees commute from the outskirts, using the local infrastructure. While the centre of the agglomeration benefits from taxes, the periphery effectively loses out on its fair share of funding. That is why the draft law and this delineation of powers are a vital step.’

According to the Deputy Minister, the adoption of the framework law will enable a more objective assessment of communities' financial needs, determine which redistribution mechanisms should be applied and establish a solid foundation for the sustainable development of territories.

Read the full interview with Oleksii Riabykin HERE.