The Seminar "On the Activity of the Modern European Parliament: Practice, Experience, Problems" has started its Working in the Parliament
18 June 2009, 17:59
Seminar was organized by the
parliamentary Committee on Rules of Parliamentary Procedure, Ethics and Support
to Work of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, on Budget Matters, On
Liberty of Speech and Information, on European Integration and by the
Westminster Foundation for Democracy.
In seminar take part the People´s Deputies of Ukraine, members of the Parliamentary delegation of Great Britain Parliament and representatives of the Parliamentary Service of House of Commons, leaders of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Secretariate, leaders of the Committees´ secretariats, structural subdivisions of the Secretariate, secretariats of the Ukrainian Parliamentary Factions, leaders of the Institute of Law of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, representatives of the executive power bodies, diplomatic corpus and publicity.
During the first day of the seminar the issues on legislative procedures and status of the bills passing, practice of elaboration and adoption of the laws in the Parliament, system of control for its implementation were discussed. Also the attention was pointed out on the activity of the opposition in the Parliament, its role in the legislative work. The issue on the parliamentary factions was scrutinized: their role, authorities, forms of cooperation, responsibility of deputies before the parliamentary factions and also the way of formation of functions, law, obligations of the parliamentary committees. Moreover the experience of the British system in issue concerning the budget process and authority allotment on the tax implementation was scrutinized.
In entering speech, the Vice-Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Mykola Tomenko emphasized ion the importance of the transference of the epicenter of the general discussion to the meetings of the factions and committees of the parliament and the plenary meetings should possess the function of the final conciliation. M. Tomenko stressed that today the discussion in session hall looks very conflicting and non-constructive, "consequently it is essentially to strengthen the role of the committees in this process",
M. Tomenko has also declared that "if the proportional system of elections is preserved, parties should radically revise the principle of the parties register formation in order to provide the higher professional rate of the representation of the deputies´ corpus".
The Ambassador of Great Britain to Ukraine, Lee Turner has greeted the participants
of the seminar and expressed for the support of Ukraine on the path of democratic
reforms and wished good luck in the approaches to become closer to the European
Union, in particular through the Treat on Association.
Chairman the British delegation on cooperation, member of the Parliament of Great Britain, John Grogan has positively evaluated the fact that in the work of the seminar take part not only representatives of the Ukrainian Parliament but the representative of the other branches of power, public organizations as it testifies the interest of the society in the discussion of the vital issues.
The Secretary of the Committee Rules of Parliamentary Procedure, Ethics and Support to Work of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Viacheslav Koval informed the participants on the work of the Committee its personnel etc.
During the work of the seminar, the representatives of the Parliament of Great Britain acquainted the participants with the work of their legislative body.
The role of the opposition in the Parliament and the notion of "responsible opposition", effectiveness of destructive or constructive behaviour of the opposition in the Parliament were discussed.
Moreover the complex of issue on the parliamentary control matters and adoption of the governmental propositions concerning the increase of the taxes were discussed.