On Tuesday, the 3d of September the solemn opening of the third session of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine of the seventh convocation was held.

385 peoples’ deputies registered in the session hall.

The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Volodymyr Rybak announced that the President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych participates in the opening ceremony.

He noted also that the Prime Minister of Ukraine Mykola Azarov, members of the government, leaders of the judiciary, officials elected and appointed at the permit of the Verkhovna Rada, the Chairman of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, chairpersons of local councils, representatives of the European Parliament monitoring mission Aleksander Kwasniewski and Pat Cox, as well as chairpersons of diplomatic representatives of foreign states are present at the meeting. 

Volodymyr Rybak announced the third session of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine of the seventh convocation to be opened.

The National Anthem of Ukraine was performed.

The President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych addressed parliament members with an opening speech.

According to him, all political forces represented in the Verkhovna Rada should find ways for cooperation and pool efforts to resolve issues important to the state, particularly, the issue of European integration and acceleration of the program of reforms.  

V.Yanukovych stressed that the work of the Verkhovna Rada during the seventh session should be more fruitful, than during the previous period. “Unfortunately, the previous session of the Verkhovna Rada was a time of lost opportunities. As a result, we are losing the pace of reforms taken in 2010-2012 years,” he said.

The President of Ukraine called Ukrainian parliament members to reconcile in order to solve two key strategic issues. “ The first and the most topical issue of the given session is the adoption of laws aimed at European integration. It is the homework to be fulfilled by Ukrainian Parliament on the eve of the Vilnius Summit for Ukraine to be able to sign the Association Agreement with the EU and the extended FTA Agreement with the EU,” he said.

“Association with the EU is necessary for Ukraine and not for the government or opposition. First of all, it is a stimulus for further reformation, acceleration of modernization and improvement of social standards,” stressed V.Yanukovych.

Apart from this, according to the President of Ukraine, the Parliament must ensure adoption of laws provided for by the EU-Ukraine Visa Liberalization Action Plan.

The Chairman announced a 30-minute break after the speech of V.Yanukovych.

The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Volodymyr Rybak addressed the people’s deputies after the break.

Volodymyr Rybak noted that the third session is opened in the period that shall determine the future of Ukraine and its place in the world for the next decades, since “there shall be signed the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement at the end of November in Vilnius, which is not an average international agreement, but the agreement that determines the history of independent Ukraine in the broad European context”. Volodymyr Rybak reminded that despite political opposition during the previous session, the Parliament adopted 10 important legal acts on European integration. He noted that seven more bills, adoption of which is necessary for signing the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement, are still to be addressed during the current session.  According to the Chairman of the Parliament, during the next two months the people’s deputies have to focus on such important bills as reforming of the prosecutor’s office, the court system and refinement of electoral legislation.

“Annual Message of the President of Ukraine to the Verkhovna Rada should be an orienting point in the law-making activity of the Parliament,” stressed Volodymyr Rybak. He noted that the Annual Message of the President determines main priorities, goals and tasks of state policy in practically all spheres of social life that need to be realized in certain legislative acts.

Volodymyr Rybak stressed the role and importance of committees in the law-making activity and claimed that in the nearest future he plans to make several initiatives in order to reinforce legislative role of stand parliamentary committees. “A parliamentary committee is a certain parliamentary sieve through which bills of poor quality and non-topical bills should be sifted. It is also an analytical centre for checking effectiveness of laws application in the country. We have to admit that until we optimize the work of the Verkhovna Rada committees, efficiency factor of Parliament’s work will not be high,” he said and noted that since under the Constitution of Ukraine, the work of the committees is coordinated by the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada, I intend, in particular, to practice personal participation of the Chairman and his deputies in important meetings of main parliamentary committees. “It is time to raise every activity of parliamentary committees to the high level and broad powers they are entitled to have by the Law on the Rules of Procedure of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine,” Volodymyr Rybak summarized. 

Then, the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada drew attention of those present to “the top priority directions requiring maximum mobilization of legislative support on the part of the Verkhovna Rada”.

According to him, it necessary to adjust electoral legislation in order to secure real political rights of Ukrainian citizens; regulate several aspects pertaining to organization and activity of state government, particularly, that of the Cabinet of Ministers, the Constitutional Court, the Central Election Commission and local self-government; consider and take the decision regarding the bill on amendments to the Constitution of Ukraine (re strengthening guarantees of judges’ independence), that was referred by the President of Ukraine and was set to be urgently considered by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.

Volodymyr Rybak outlined priorities for the law-making activity of the Parliament. In particular, the draft laws on amendments to several laws that regulate the scope of participation of publicity in formation and implementation of state policy and in resolving issues of local significance; and the laws on amendments to several laws in connection with adoption of the Law “On State Service”.

Further refinement of financial legislation that regulates social relations in the sphere of budget, taxation and banking is, according to Volodymyr Rybak, the third urgent legislative package to be addressed. 

The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada named refinement of external borrowing procedure and standardization of provisions regarding state and local guarantees for the purpose of securing parameters of debt safety of the state to be of top priority among legislative initiatives in the budgetary sphere.

Volodymyr Rybak believes that among initiatives in the sphere of taxation legislation the most important should be the suggestions regarding simplifying the procedure of tax administration and timely adjustment of the provisions of the Tax Code of Ukraine. The Chairman of the Parliament stressed importance of systematizing legislation on banks and banking.

The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada spoke also about the top priority bills aimed at reforming criminal and criminal-procedure legislation of Ukraine, and about reforming the humanitarian sphere.

Summing up, Volodymyr Rybak stressed that Ukraine enters the period of responsible state decisions and high expectations. “The society waits for crucial changes: for positive outcomes of legislatively justified economic and social reforms; for direct dialogue with the government; for substantial improvement of life of Ukrainian people; and for new European prospects of our state,” he stressed. 

After the speech of the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada the newly elected people’s deputy Vadym Novytskyi took an oath.

The Chairman announced about formation of a new inter-faction deputies association “Open public platform”, Yuriy Miroshnychenko and Andriy Shevchenko being the co-chairpersons.

Deputy factions made their announcements and proposals.

The Resolution “On amendments to the Resolution of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine “On holding parliamentary hearings entitled “Accessibility and quality of secondary education: the state and ways of improvement” (re date of holding), according to which the hearing should be held on October 23, 2013, was adopted by 319 votes.

 People’s deputies did not adopt the bill on amendments to the Tax Code of Ukraine regarding amending the codification of economic activities (198 votes 'for').  

The Law “On production and circulation of organic agricultural products and raw materials” was adopted by 302 votes, with consideration of proposals of the President of Ukraine.

The proposal to adopt as a basis the bill on amendments to the Customs Tariff of Ukraine approved by the Law of Ukraine “On the Customs Tariff of Ukraine” (new version) (217 votes 'for') was not adopted. The document was sent for the repeated first reading. This decision was supported by 258 people’s deputies.   

331 people’s deputies supported the proposal on adopting as a basis and in entirety the Law “On amendments to the Tax Code of Ukraine regarding improving taxation of privileged category of persons, receiving household fuel according to the Mining Law of Ukraine”. According to the Law, the costs that are not subject to income tax include not only the price of coal and coal briquettes, as specified by the current provision of the Code but also the price of peat briquettes which are given to the citizens for free in accordance with the current legislation.

The bill on amending the Basic Laws of Ukraine on the health care (re terms of concluding agreements with the chairpersons of state and public health care institutions) was adopted by 321 votes.  The bill establishes that chairpersons of state and public health care institutions shall be appointed to their positions by concluding an agreement for three years. 

 At the beginning of the evening meeting, the people’s deputies considered the draft law on amendments to several legislative acts of Ukraine (re development of the agriculture). Following the discussion, the bill was rejected.

The bill “On amendments to the Rules of Procedure of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine” (re prior consideration of bills in the committees) was adopted as a basis and in entirety by 290 votes. The law amends articles 93 and 145 of the Rules of Procedure of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine regarding improvement of parliamentary committees’ work on preparation and presentation of conclusions and proposals concerning bills, introduced by the subjects of law of legislative initiative for consideration by the Verkhovna Rada.

The draft law on amendments to several laws of Ukraine regarding strengthening social protection of persons that take care of disabled children and disabled persons of group I was adopted as a basis by 345 votes.

 The bill on amendments to several laws of Ukraine concerning the pension coverage was recommitted.  

After consideration of this bill Volodymyr Rybak announced closing of the evening meeting. The next meeting of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine will be held on September 4 at 10 a.m.