The state-owned lands outside the boundaries of settlements will be transferred into the communal ownership of amalgamated territorial communities. Consequently, the village, town, and city councils will obtain relevant powers to manage such lands.

On 19 April, members of the Parliament voted, in the first reading, for draft Law No. 4355  "On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of Ukraine with Respect to the Expansion of Powers of the Bodies of Local Self-Government in Terms of Land Resources Management and Tightening State Control Over the Use and Protection of Lands", whereby, in particular, amendments to the Land Code of Ukraine, the Code of Ukraine on Administrative Offences, and 15 more laws of Ukraine were made.

"Today, members of the Parliament made the first important step toward the obtaining by territorial communities of one of the most important resources for their successful development. The right to dispose of the state-owned lands will allow people at the local level to encourage investments for specific projects and efficiently manage them. The State retains the controlling function only. It is an important decision within the framework of decentralisation and development of territories", Vice Prime Minister - Minister of Regional Development, Construction, and Housing and Communal Services of Ukraine Hennadii Zubko explained.

The adoption of that draft law will facilitate more qualitative and substantiated planning of the development of territories and improve the state control over the use and protection of lands.

The functions of control over the use and protection of lands are vested with the State Service for Geodetic Surveying, Cartography and Cadastre and executive bodies of the village, town, and city councils which assume such functions in the event when a resolution to that effect is made by the relevant council. In its turn, the State Service for Geodetic Surveying, Cartography and Cadastre will supervise the exercising by the executive bodies of local self-government of state control over the use and protection of lands.

Also, the draft law removes the duplication of controlling functions: The State Service for Geodetic Surveying, Cartography and Cadastre exercises the state control over the use and protection of lands of all categories and forms of ownership, including agricultural lands, and the State Environmental Inspectorate exercises the state control over the compliance with the requirements of environmental safety.