06 June 2016, 12:29
The event was the first in a planned series of contacts with other delegations of parliamentary committees, leaders of parliamentary factions, government and civil society.
Member of the House of Commons of the British Parliament, a member of the Board of Office Jeffrey Donaldson focused on the main points of reform of local government in the UK, which began in 1997 in line with a clearly defined strategy. At this, drafting laws and their practical implementation proceeded in parallel. These processes were named devolution as envisaged a providing Scotland and Northern Ireland with certain powers in the legislature. Today we can speak about the British experience in reforming, its reflection on a scientific level, willingness to share this experience with other countries.
Committee Chairman Serhii Vlasenko informed the delegation members with the main efforts of the Committee in the legislative support of cooperation of local communities and their voluntary associations, public service and service in local government, and also drew attention to the peculiarities of the parliamentary process in Ukraine at availability of powerful centers of extra-parliamentary exposure.
On the example of the preparation and adoption of the Law of Ukraine "On state service", he told about cooperation with civil society, international organizations and emphasized the significant volumes of legislative activity, which has been conducted by the Committee with the draft law texts submitted to parliament. The next step is working on the draft Law of Ukraine "On service in local government," which is currently being processed in steering subcommittee and must be agreed with the above law. "These are two interrelated documents lay the basis for reforms in two service levels of public authority and regulate all the complex issues associated with employment, servicing, and termination", - underlined the Chairman of the Committee.
Explaining to guests from the United Kingdom
essential aspects of territorial Communities Association, Chairman of the
Committee said that despite the declaration of intent to support decentralization
there is no unified real strategy for its implementation in Ukraine and
the process is somewhat chaotic. Especially it was
evidently during the consideration in Parliament of government draft State
Budget of Ukraine for 2016, which virtually levels the steps made prior to it.
He also noted that the Committee has provided adoption of two key laws on
decentralization of power in Ukraine:
"On cooperation of local communities" and "On a voluntary
association of communities", and is ready to develop these and other laws in
relevant sphere. This is on the ground of the analysis of the practice of
domestic legislation, problems encountered in the implementation of some of its
provisions, as well as the widespread use of best European experiences,
opinions and suggestions of experts from other countries. The Committee is sincerely
interested in helping from British colleagues who have already passed similar
stages of reforming.
Showing his appreciation for the interview and expressing hope for further cooperation, Jeffrey Donaldson said that the meeting of the Committee helped the delegation a detailed view of the problems of decentralization of power in Ukraine and crystallize a range of issues with which they intended to appeal to the leaders of other parliamentary committees, parliamentary factions, government officials and civil society representatives.