On April 6, 2016, the Verkhovna Rada Committee on National Security and Defense hosted a working meeting dedicated to examination of the terms of the draft law No. 4057 dated February 15, 2016 "On amendments to Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine" (as to peculiarities of confiscation of monetary funds, foreign currency values, government bonds of Ukraine, treasury obligations of Ukraine, precious metals and/or stones, other values and incomes from them prior to criminal sentencing) and their correspondence to the European standards.
Representatives of the Council of Europe Office in Ukraine Olena Lytvynenko and Olha Dubynska provided an official expert conclusion of the Council of Europe on the draft law No. 4057 and noted that within the forthcoming several days, the draft law would be officially promulgated and its Ukrainian translation would be provided.
The participants in the working meeting noted the necessity for the adaptation of the draft law No. 4057 in order to harmonize its provisions with the standards and procedures of the European Union, which will regulate the issue of confiscation of assets prior to criminal sentencing. At that most of the meeting participants agreed with the necessity for the establishment of respective confiscation institution within the Ukrainian legal field taking in consideration the fact that it would correspond to the tendencies of improvement of the legislation of the EU countries in terms of the transfer of the criminal persecution from a person to property.
Besides, the participants in the meeting noted that during the forthcoming five days there will be some meetings with the specialists of the Council of Europe Office in Ukraine dedicated to detailed discussion of the mechanism of establishment of the confiscation institution within the Ukrainian legislation taking in account the European experience in the application of such institution. Besides, during these meetings it is planned to elaborate amendments to the draft law No. 4057.
The participants in the working meeting noted the necessity for the creation of effective mechanisms of recovery of some corrupt assets and incomes from them.
The meeting participants were: Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on National Security and Defense S.Pashynskyi; Secretary for National Security and Defense I.Vinnyk; Secretary of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Legislative Support to Enforcement A.Heraschenko; Secretary of the Committee / Chairperson of the subcommittee for the harmonization of the Ukrainian legislation with the legislation of the European Union O.Sotnyk; Secretary of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Fuel and Energy Complex, Nuclear Policy and Nuclear Safety V.Voitsitska; Head of the Secretariat of the Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada O.Sayenko; Deputy Head of the Secretariat / Head of the Central Organizational Department V.Bondarenko; Chief of the Secretariat of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on National Security and Defense T.Blystiv; employees of the Central legal department of the Verkhovna Rada Secretariat; public activists and journalists.