The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in its report has highly appreciated the pace of implementation of the decentralisation reform in Ukraine. “During the 4 years of the reform implementation, there have been great shifts towards modernization of approach to state administration of the territories, improvement of public service provision on the ground, carrying out of financial decentralisation, and increase in the pace of hromadas’ amalgamation,” as stated in the OECD Report “Supporting Decentralisation in Ukraine”, publicly presented today.

In his turn, Hennadii Zubko, Vice Prime Minister – Minister of Regional Development, Construction, Housing and Communal Services of Ukraine, stressed that decentralisation is undoubtfully the most successful of all the reforms implemented in Ukraine. “The decentralisation reform has currently gained a high pace. It has radically changed the country’s mentality, administration system and quality of service provision. Therefore, the “markers” from our European colleagues, their expert assessment and recommendations on its implementation process are very important for us,” said Hennadii Zubko.

The OECD has positively evaluated the results and progress of decentralisation in Ukraine and will continue to support its implementation, because, in addition to hromadas’ amalgamation, they see our work in sectoral decentralisation, in the way services change, AH powers increase, financial revenues raise, and local self-government reaches mid-term planning. Hennadii Zubko said that 743 AHs have been formed so far. Perspective Plans for the formation of AHs in 23 oblasts, envisaging 1207 amalgamated hromadas, are approved. By the end of the year, it is planned to cover the “white spot” of 128 rayons with no AH established so far. A list of perspective administrative centres of future hromadas has been prepared. This will allow the Oblast State Administration to complete the work on the development of perspective plans for the formation of AHs, covering the entire territory of each oblast.

“We motivate hromadas to amalgamate and strengthen their capabilities at the legislative level. In 2017, 7 laws were adopted. We have a route map of 17 required draft laws, which we elaborated jointly with our European partners. An important law allowing hromadas’ accession to cities of oblast significance without holding elections has been adopted. And this is a powerful impetus and motivation to amalgamate and establish large hromadas,” emphasised Hennadii Zubko.

Other draft laws, which are of a priority for adoption, include the ones on land resources’ management within the AH territory, and on the principles of the administrative-territorial structure of Ukraine, supported by the Council of Europe. Besides, the draft law on monitoring compliance with the Constitution and laws by the local self-government bodies is to increase the responsibility of local self-government.

It should be mentioned that a detailed monitoring of the reform and its results were presented by Hennadii Zubko in December 2017 in the OECD office in Paris.

Besides, the Agreement on Continuation of Co-operation under the Memorandum between the Government of Ukraine and the OECD has been signed today.

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The OECD is a unique forum, where government bodies work together to address the economic, social and environmental challenges of globalisation. The organisation provides a platform for comparing policy implementation experience, solving common problems, identifying best practices and working on the coordination of internal and foreign policies. 34 countries are OECD members.