PLENARY MEETING OF THE VERKHOVNA RADA OF UKRAINE OF THE SEVENTH CONVOCATION WAS HELD ON FRIDAY, APRIL 11, 2014.
Having opened the morning plenary meeting, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Oleksandr Turchynov informed that today in the morning in Donetsk, at the Skochynskyi mine, blasting operations were conducted in the course of which seven miners died.
People’s deputies commemorated the deceased miners with a minute of silence.
Oleksandr Turchynov announced people’s deputy V.Krutii entering faction “UDAR”, electing O.Pankevych as deputy chairman of “Svoboda” faction, and people’s deputies A.Pinchuk and V.Turmanov withdrawing from the Party of Regions faction.
Oleksandr Turchynov reminded that every Friday during plenary weeks the Government Question Hour is held. Representatives of deputies’ factions submitted a proposal to grant a hearing to the Cabinet of Ministers regarding pricing policy in the sphere of fuel and energy resources.
Minister of Energy and Coal Industry Yurii Prodan answered the questions.
Before answering the questions, he claimed that the tragic accident which happened at the Skochynskyi mine occurred due to neglecting basic safety rules. “People should have been within more than one kilometer from there. Unfortunately, they were within a radius of explosion. An investigation is being conducted, following the results of which, respective conclusions will be made,” informed Yu.Prodan.
The Minister also informed about gas supply of the country. In his words, Russia has established a political price – USD 480 for a thousand cubic meters. “Ukraine can not pay such a political, economically unfavourable price for gas. Now we are conducting intensive negotiations with the European Commission about reverse gas supply to the country”.
The Minister reported on increasing prices for the population. According to him, on the average, the price was increased by 56% for different categories of consumers. The least protected social groups will be protected with respective subsidies.
Yu.Prodan answered the question whether Ukraine is going to file a lawsuit to the Stockholm Arbitration Court regarding the agreement between the National Joint-Stock Company “Naftogaz of Ukraine” and Russian gas monopolist “Gazprom”. “We are thoroughly approaching the issue of preparing respective documents and consideration of those infavourable conditions stipulated by the agreement between “Naftogaz” and “Gazprom” dd. 2009,” claimed Yu.Prodan.
Oleksandr Turchynov commented on the situation with deputies combining two places of wok. He addressed people’s deputies, who combine deputies’ authorities with the work in executive structures of power, to determine their place of work.
Then, the Minister answered oral questions of the people’s deputies.
He also answered questions concerning nuclear fuel supply. Yu.Prodan informed that options of possible alternatives of nuclear fuel supply are being elaborated.
Another question concerned measures for saving energy sources the Ministry of Energy and Coal Industry carries out. “Under present conditions such economy will be aimed at changing gas for alternative types of fuel: coal, fuel oil”, he answered.
Thereon the Government Question Hour finished.
Chairman of the Interim Special Commission Ruslan Koshulynskyi reported on the activity of the Interim Special Commission on the issue of elaboration of the law on development and use of languages in Ukraine. He reminded that the Commission was formed on March 4. It has had 5 meetings, 3 of which were held without the number of its members necessary for adopting decisions. In his words, at the first meeting, the Commission formed a group of experts from different Oblasts of Ukraine, and adopted a decision on the title of the future bill “On the Order of Using Languages in Ukraine”.
R. Koshulynskyi informed that the Commission had determined a source basis that was worked on when elaborating a new version of the law. It consists of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages; laws: “On Ratification of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages”, “On the Principles of State Language Policy of Ukraine”; draft law on functioning of the Ukrainian language as the single state language and on the order of using other languages in Ukraine, the draft law on the order of using languages in Ukraine, elaborated by the expert group headed by L.Kravchuk; the Law of the USSR "On Languages ??in the Ukrainian SSR”; Concept of State Language Policy; Opinions of the European Commission for Democracy through Law (Venice Commission) on the draft law on the Principles of State Language Policy dd. 2010–2011; Assessment and recommendations of the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities on the draft law on the principles of state language policy dd. 2010–2011.
“Having analysed these documents and having listened to the experts, the Commission members adopted a decision to take as a basis the draft law on the order of using languages in Ukraine, elaborated by the expert group headed by L.Kravchuk”, claimed the speaker.
He added that the Commission members decided to send this document to international experts, particularly, to the European Commission for Democracy through Law (Venice Commission), the OSCE, the Council of Europe, and to the representatives of all national minorities for receiving their assessment and pieces of advice for further improvement of this bill.
R. Koshulynskyi informed that people’s deputies and experts submitted their proposals to this bill.
Oleksandr Turchynov expressed hope that this bill would be upheld not only in Ukraine but outside its borders.
The Chairman gave the floor to people’s deputies for discussion of the report of the Interim Special Commission.
After the discussion, the Chairman claimed that a well-balanced law should be adopted.
People’s deputies started considering bills.
The draft law on amendments to the Fundamentals of Ukrainian health legislation re prevention and treatment of rare (orphan) diseases (Reg. No. 2461) was reported by the Head of the subcommittee of the Committee on Public Health Volodymyr Dudka. He noted that the problem of protecting citizens of Ukraine that suffer from orphan diseases remains unsettled at the legislative level. According to him, domestic legislation still lacks official definition of a rare (orphan) disease.
The bill suggests amend article 3 of Fundamental of health legislation in order to determine the notion of a rare (orphan) disease and supplement section V of this legislative act with a new article 531.
The speaker informed that the Committee took the decision to recommend the Verkhovna Rada adopt the bill as a basis.
Summing up, Oleksandr Turchynov noted that there is no possibility to adopt this and some other bills today. He suggested postpone voting on the issues considered today to the next plenary week.
The draft law on restoring rights of indigenous people of Ukraine forcefully resettled from the Crimean territory (Reg. No. 4434) was presented by the Chairman of the Committee on Human Rights, National Minorities and International Relations Valerii Patskan, since the rapporteur was absent.
V.Patskan informed that during the discussion, committee members noted topicality of the issues raised in the bill that aim at restoration of rights of persons deported on ethnic grounds.
At the same time, they attached attention to the fact that the bill does not reflect a comprehensive approach to resolving problems in this sphere.
Committee members deem that definition of the terms suggested in the bill requires significant refinement.
The people’s deputies noted also that provisions of the bill are mainly of declarative nature and lack the required statutory and regulatory load.
V.Patskan reported the decision of the Committee to recommend the Verkhovna Rada recommit the bill.
Following the results of voting, the bill was rejected (115 votes in favor).
The draft law on the rights of indigenous peoples of Ukraine (Reg. No. 4501) was reported by the people’s deputy Valerii Karpuntsov. The people’s deputy suggested definition of the term “indigenous people of Ukraine”.
Chairman of the Committee on Human Rights, National Minorities and International Relations Valerii Patskan proposed recommit the bill and unite it with the previous one.
The draft resolution on overcoming consequences of selective justice aimed at political persecution of civil servants of state power in Ukraine was presented by the people’s deputy Tetiana Sliuz.
The rapporteur noted that this resolution aims at taking political decision on liberating former officials that were illegally imprisoned, having committed no illegal actions.
The Chairman noted that the decision on this draft resolution will be taken during the next plenary week.
Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Ruslan Koshulynskyi read out deputies’ inquiries.
The people’s deputies took the floor with statements, announcements and proposals.
Chairman adjourned plenary session.
Next plenary meeting of the fourth session will be held on Tuesday, April 15.