“To make the Parliament more efficient, they need to take changes to the parliamentary rules of procedure elaborated in combination with the Pat Cox Mission” – I.Herashchenko
This was stressed by the First Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Iryna Herashchenko at a meeting with members of the EU-Ukraine Parliamentary Association Committee (PAC). The First Vice-Speaker noticed a high-level dialogue between the EU and Ukraine. She thanked the European parliamentarians for their close attention to the security and humanitarian situation in the Donbas and their active hand at the PAC Dnipro sitting on September 20, 2017.
“We thank you for your coming to front-line Avdiivka, and believe it to have great symbolism that a regular committee sitting took place exactly in the City of Dnipro, after the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement having finally come into force,” made the point I.Herashchenko.
A wide range of the bilateral collaboration problems was discussed at the meeting with the members of the EU-Ukraine Parliamentary Association Committee, and namely – introduction of the anti-graft and corruption reform, decentralization, judicial, education, medical and pension reforms to name a few.
Close concern was also paid to alterations in state property privatization. “To make the Parliament more efficient, they need to take changes to the parliamentary rules of procedure elaborated in combination with the Pat Cox Mission,” I.Herashchenko underlined. While talking over the privatization reform, the First Vice-Speaker informed that on September 12 there had been a sitting of the National Reforms Council where a governmental draft bill No.7066 “On State Property Privatization” had been adopted. The paper, which is very important, sets the privatization procedures, the requirements for making lists of privatizable property, and the order of acceptance of privatization resolutions.
A close eye was kept over the recently taken law of Ukraine “On Education”, approved by the Parliament on September 5, 2017. The Ukrainian side underlined the law is in strict conformity with the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, constituting a sure footing for the local changes in education.
Another stress was laid upon the need in greater boosting of adaptation of the Ukrainian legislation to the EU standards.
The parties also talked over the current security and humanitarian situation in the Donbas, liberation of the hostages and the human rights violations throughout the Crimea. Of the greatest importance was also named the issue of deployment of the UN peacekeeping mission over the Donbas.
In turn, the PAC Co-Chair Dariusz Rosati informed the audience of the joint working visit of the EU and Ukrainian parliamentarians to Avdiivka on September 19. He stressed that due to awful damage to the local civic and industrial infrastructure, it is the civilian population which is in the very focus of suffering.
Dariusz Rosati assured the European Parliament would keep on helping Ukraine to restore the Donbas’s infrastructure and rendering assistance to the local people aggrieved.
In addition, the
PAC Co-Chair Dariusz Rosati noted the members of the EU-Ukraine Parliamentary
Association Committee are greatly interested in a joint work over smooth
adaptation of the key reforms in Ukraine, and in the anti-corruption realm particularly.
The meeting was also attended by numerous foreign dignitaries from the EU-Ukraine Parliamentary Association Committee, the European Union Delegation to Ukraine, the European Parliament's Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Political Section of the European Union Delegation to Ukraine, etc.