The draft law “On the Principles of the Administrative and Territorial Structure of Ukraine” is one of the 17 priority draft laws, which constitute the legislative route of decentralisation. This list was supported by the Donor Coordination Board and Georg Milbradt, Special Envoy of the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany for decentralisation in Ukraine. The draft law is the only one out of 17, not yet submitted to the Verkhovna Rada. Today the Government has supported our legislative initiative – the draft law “On the Principles of the Administrative and Territorial Structure of Ukraine”. It regulates the procedure for the formation, liquidation, establishment and change of the boundaries of administrative-territorial units, names of settlements and their classification into certain categories, announced Hennadii Zubko, Vice Prime Minister – Minister of Regional Development, Construction, Housing and Communal Services of Ukraine, commenting on the Government’s approval of the draft law.

He said that the draft law establishes a three-tier system of administrative and territorial structure of Ukraine – the regional level (Crimea and oblasts), subregional level (rayons) and the basic level – hromadas that include one or several settlements. Besides, the state registration of administrative-territorial units is introduced.

“With the adoption of the draft law on the administrative and territorial structure, we eliminate duplication of powers of the rayon council and rayon state administration with the local self-government bodies of AH, we eliminate excessive expenses for the maintenance of the RSA apparatus, improve the quality of service provision by increasing the funding of local self-government budgets in terms of establishment of hospital districts, new educational space and so on. This is a prerequisite for further successful decentralisation,” emphasised Hennadii Zubko.

Ukraine still has existing law on the administrative and territorial structure, adopted in 1981 by a decree of the Presidium of the Verkhovna Rada of the Ukrainian SSR.