PLENARY MEETINGS OF THE THIRD SESSION OF THE VERKHOVNA RADA OF UKRAINE OF THE SEVENTH CONVOCATION WERE HELD ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 19.
At the beginning of the morning session, people’s deputies held a minute's silence for victims of plane crash on November 17, 2013 in the airport of the city of Kazan (the Russian Federation).
The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Volodymyr Rybak suggested on behalf of the Verkhovna Rada issue a protocol commission to the central bodies of executive power to analyze the state of adherence to flight safety of aircrafts and take the respective measures to prevent accident situations during passenger carriage.
Representatives of deputy factions took the floor with statements, announcements and proposals.
The Verkhovna Rada has terminated the authority of the people’s deputy of M.Herasymchuk in connection with his death.
The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Volodymyr Rybak suggested approve the agenda of the Verkhovna Rada for November 19-22, 2013.
People’s deputies did not uphold the proposal (195 votes in favor). Opposition faction did not participate in voting.
Parliament members considered the issue of ratification.
The draft law on ratification of the Financial Agreement (Rehabilitation of Hydropower Stations Project) between Ukraine and the European Investment Bank was reported by the First Deputy Minister of Energy and Coal Industry Ihor Popovych. Government official noted that adoption of this law will help receive a loan in the amount of EUR 200 million from the European Investment Bank.
I.Popovych noted that under the Financial Agreement with the European Investment Bank, the loan is granted on favourable terms for the period of 20 years, with a grace period to redeem a loan of 5 years. It is planned to complete the project in 2017.
Deputy Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee Yurii Miroshnychenko reported the decision of the Committee to recommend the Parliament ratify Financial Agreement.
At the demand of Batkivshchyna and UDAR factions, a break was announced after discussion of the bill. During the break deputy faction leaders held consultations on the agenda items.
After the break, the Presiding informed of the agreements reached between faction leaders, i.e. to primarily consider the Euro-integrational bills, including the four bills suggested for consideration today, during the plenary meeting on Thursday.
Batkivshchyna faction leader Arsenii Yatseniuk put a special emphasis on the stand of opposition factions to “withdraw all amendments to the bill on the prosecutor’s office, apart from those determined by the Venice Commission.”
A.Yatseniuk informed also that opposition will also withdraw all amendments to the Law “On Elections” in order to “vote on the law on the prosecutor’s office and on the law on election of the people’s deputies in the second reading and in entirety.”
Batkivshchyna faction leader said that opposition is ready to vote on the bill on the possibility of treatment of the imprisoned to sentence that corresponds to the concept of the Party of Regions. He addressed faction of the Party of Regions to vote on this bill on Thursday.
The Verkhovna Rada adopted in entirety the draft law on ratification of the Financial Agreement (Rehabilitation of Hydropower Stations Project) between Ukraine and the European Investment Bank.
Chairman of the Committee on Industrial and Investment Policy Yurii Voropaiev reported on the bill on amendments to several legislative acts of Ukraine re protection of investors’ rights, adjusted for the second reading. According to him, 119 remarks and amendments to the bill were received, of which 55 were either fully or partially taken into account.
Yu.Voropaiev informed that the Committee has scrutinized proposals of the people’s deputies and recommends that the Verkhovna Rada should adopt the bill in entirety as a law.
People’s deputies considered remarks that authors of the bill insisted on.
The bill failed to get enough votes to be adopted in entirety and was recommitted for the repeated second reading.
The draft law on prohibition of financial pyramid schemes in Ukraine was reported by Borys Vizirov, Head of the National Commission that exercises state regulation in the sphere of financial services markets. He noted that “financial pyramids are socially-dangerous phenomenon. That is why financial pyramids are prohibited in the developed countries, where their establishment is deemed to be a crime.”
B.Vizirov informed that the bill suggests determine the notion of “financial pyramid” and prohibit deliberate establishment of financial pyramids, as well as their advertising.
Chairman of the Committee on Finance and Banking Oleksandr Ryzhenkov reported decision of the Committee to recommend the Verkhovna Rada adopt the bill as a basis.
The majority of parliament members upheld the bill and stressed the necessity to stipulate a more strict responsibility for activity of financial pyramids.
The bill was adopted as a basis by 310 votes.
Following the results of consideration of the draft law on amendments to article 9 of the Law “On Medicines” (re state registration of medicines) in the first reading, the bill was rejected.
The Verkhovna Rada adopted in entirety the draft law on amendments to the Budget Code of Ukraine re provision with coal and peat briquettes.
The Chairman adjourned the morning session.
People’s deputies continued consideration of the bills in the first reading during the evening session.
The draft law on amendments to article 240 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine re strengthening responsibility for illegal extraction of mineral resources was reported by the Deputy Minister of Environment and Natural Resources Oleksandr Sushko.
According to him, the bill suggests establish criminal responsibility for illegal extraction of mineral resources of national and local significance.
Secretary of the Committee on Legislative Support of Law Enforcement Vitalii Zhuravskyi reported decision of the Committee to recommend the Verkhovna Rada adopt the bill as a basis.
Rapporteurs generally upheld the idea of the bill, thereat, expressing remarks to imperfections of some of the proposed provisions.
The bill was adopted as a basis by 284 votes in favor.
The draft law on amendments to several laws of Ukraine re including information about operating legal entities and sole proprietors to the Unified State Register was reported by the Head of the State Registration Service Dmytro Vorona. He noted that the bill suggests cancel time restrictions for including into the Unified State Register information about legal entities and sole proprietors, who were registered before July 01, 2004 but still have not submitted their personal information to the Unified State Register.
Chairperson of the Committee on Entrepreneurship, Regulatory and Antimonopoly Policy Oleksandra Kuzhel reported decision of the Committee to recommend the Verkhovna Rada adopt the bill as a basis.
People’s deputies upheld proposal of the specialized committee by 331 votes in favor.
The Verkhovna Rada has also adopted in the first reading the draft law on amendments to article 7 of the Law “On mandatory state social insurance in case of temporary disability and expenses caused by the burial” re including to the pensionable service the period of a child-care leave until the child turns three.
People’s deputies considered amendments to the draft law on amendments to appendixes No. 3 and 7 to the Law “On State Budget of Ukraine for 2013” (re change of subvention name), adjusted for the second reading, and adopted it in entirety by 275 votes in favor
The Verkhovna Rada adopted in entirety the bills on amendments to several legislative acts of Ukraine re increasing responsibility for driving a vehicle in the state of intoxication and on amendments to Basic Healthcare Laws of Ukraine re terms of concluding agreements with the chairpersons of state and public health care institutions.
The Verkhovna Rada adopted the Resolution “On Recommendations of Parliamentary Hearings “Problems of Ukrainian book publishing development, book distribution and prospects of support of book reading in Ukraine”.
People’s deputies scrutinized several draft resolutions on celebration of memorable dates and took the respective decisions.
The Chairman adjourned the evening session.
Next plenary meeting of the third session will be held on Wednesday, November 20.