The results of a nationwide study on the implementation of Law of Ukraine No. 3590-IX ‘On Amendments to the Law of Ukraine “On Local Self-Government in Ukraine” Regarding Ensuring Transparency of Local Self-Government’ were presented in Kyiv.

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The study, conducted at the request of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Organisation of State Power, Local Self-Government, Regional Development and Urban Planning by the U-LEAD with Europe. It covered more than 3,300 respondents, including representatives of local governments at all levels and citizens.

Vitalii Bezgin, Member of Ukrainian Parliament, who participated in the presentation, noted the positive dynamics in the implementation of openness principles in local governments.

‘I believe that we are making good progress in terms of transparency in local self-government. Communities are gradually becoming more open, and I am confident that we will achieve very high standards in line with European practices in the coming years,’ said Vitalii Bezgin.

The MP thanked Olena Boiko, an expert, and the U-LEAD with Europe, which supports the development of transparency at the local level, for their work on the study.

Monitoring compliance with the law: a challenging task

As Roman Lozynskyi, MP and one of the authors of the law, emphasised, monitoring compliance with the law is just as important as its adoption:

‘Over a year ago, the Law on Transparency in Local Self-Government (No. 3590-IX), which I drafted with my colleagues, came into force. It covers the video recording of meetings, roll-call voting results, the publication of appendices to draft decisions and transparent registers of public property. However, I have always believed that simply passing a law is not enough – its implementation must also be monitored. And when the regulations apply to more than 1,500 local councils, this is a challenging task.’

Access to video recordings: rapid progress and challenges with quality

The study results show significant progress in complying with the law on transparency of council work. The vast majority of local councils publish video recordings of plenary sessions:

• 99.1 per cent of regional councils,
• 75.6 per cent of district councils,
• 74.1 per cent of community councils.

However, the timely publication of recordings remains a challenge: only 61 per cent of community councils publish them no later than the day after the meeting. Meanwhile, 23 per cent miss the deadline, and a further 22 per cent either do not publish them at all or do so with a significant delay.

The quality of the videos is also an issue: only 36.8 per cent of citizens are satisfied with the sound or video quality, which is sufficient for them to understand the essence of the meetings. Conversely, nearly 43 per cent of citizens are dissatisfied with the quality.

Live-streaming and the work of committees: the potential for growth

According to the study, 74 per cent of citizens believe that live-streaming of council meetings would improve their effectiveness. Although the law only requires broadcasting after martial law has ended, one in five councils already practises this format. Just 61.5 per cent of rural, settlement, and urban councils report that they are technically ready for future broadcasts.

The situation regarding the publication of video recordings of the work of standing committees is even worse – only half of the community councils are transparent at this level of discussion.

Public property and language issues: challenges remain

Transparency in the sphere of public property remains one of the most problematic areas. Only 22.3 per cent of citizens confirm that information about public property is published as open data that is easy to view and analyse.

Furthermore, 10 per cent of citizens report that local councillors or officials do not always use the official language during meetings. In 16 per cent of cases where such violations occur, no action is taken against those responsible.

‘This is shameful, although the situation is much better than it used to be,’ commented Roman Lozynskyi.

Transparency becomes the norm

The study shows that Ukrainian communities are gradually shifting from a formal openness to a genuine culture of transparency.

 

Presentation of the study is HERE

Presentation recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4a9_1keOb4