26 June 2019, 18:27
There are // bodies in focus of our committee scan today:
Committee on Foreign Affairs
Hanna Hopko, Head of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, took part on June 26 in the IV Local Development Forum and, in particular, in its panel discussion "Development of nature-reserve territories in the Carpathians", with the venue in Truskavets, the Lviv region.
In her address, Hanna Hopko focused on certain aspects of Ukraine-EU trans-border cooperation, financial instruments for the development of the Carpathians, and also shared her own nature protection experience (the Kornalovychi oaks).
An important instrument of international cooperation in this area is the Framework Convention on the Protection and Sustainable Development of the Carpathians (the so called ‘Carpathian Convention’), which came into force in 2006. Parties to the Carpathian Convention are seven countries of the Carpathian region. A number of important documents, including 5 protocols, have been signed within the framework of the convention.
As the committee head, Hanna Hopko initiated consideration of the draft Law "On accession to the Protocol on Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development to the Framework Convention on the Protection and Sustainable Development of the Carpathians".
The committee recommended that the Verkhovna Rada ratify the said protocol. Approval of this document will provide the legal basis for the implementation of the convention in the territory of Ukraine.
Committee on State Building, Regional Policy and Local Self-Government
The body recommends that the Verkhovna Rada support the draft bill No.10240 regarding the rights of territorial communities in the process of their voluntary amalgamation and accession to amalgamated territorial communities (‘ATC’ - abbr.).
The said bill was drafted to protect the rights of territorial communities in the process of their voluntary amalgamation. This will help ensure citizens' suffrage during the preparation for and holding of initial elections of deputies of village, settlement and city councils, as well as village, settlement and city mayors.
The bill proposes to amend a number of Ukrainian laws and frame the procedure for appealing against decisions of village, settlement and city councils on approving draft decisions on voluntary amalgamation of territorial communities or voluntary accession to an ATC. Such appeals will be categorized as urgent administrative cases, and the bill is also to clerify the list of entities/authorities/bodies entitled to appeal against such decisions.
After a comprehensive discussion, the committee decided to recommend the Verkhovna Rada to adopt the bill on the first reading.