Ukraine’s Parliament approved several laws on September 20, 2023, at the plenary meeting
VRU heard the presentation of the draft Law on the State Budget of Ukraine for 2024 (# 10000)
Funds for security and defense amount to UAH 1.69 trillion (21% of GDP).
Laws in the first reading:
the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted the draft law to ensure the support of the state's defense capability and the development of the defense-industrial complex of Ukraine (# 10037)
From October 1, 2023 to December 31, 2024, funds from taxes of the categories defined by the draft law will be credited to the special fund of the State Budget of Ukraine and 50% will be directed to the Administration of the State Service of Special Communications and Information Protection of Ukraine and another 50 % to the Ministry of Strategic Industries of Ukraine.
Laws in the second reading:
VRU approved the Proposals of the President of Ukraine to the Law on Amendments to Certain Laws of Ukraine on Determining the Procedure for Submitting Declarations of Persons Authorized to Perform the Functions of the State or Local Self-Government under Martial Law. (#9534)
Public access to declarations of all subjects will be open, except for declarations of the Armed Forces, members of their families, declarants who are in the territories where active hostilities are taking place or in the temporarily occupied territories, are prisoners of war or are undergoing treatment after being injured.
Resolutions:
Parliament dismissed Nestor Nestor Shufrych as the Chair of the VRU Committee on Freedom of Speech (№10070)
On September 21, The Parliament adopted the draft law No. 9610 on certain issues of realization of rights and freedoms of persons belonging to national minorities (communities) of Ukraine.
On September 21, The Parliament voted to open the register of electronic declarations immediately. This was reported by People's Deputy Yaroslav Zhelezniak. 341 MPs voted in favor.
VRU Deputy Speaker: Ukraine’s transition from a parliamentary-presidential republic to a presidential republic is being tested.
During the “Conductors of Changes” forum on September 27, 2023, VRU Deputy Speaker Oleksandr Korniyenko noted that the model of Ukraine’s transition from a parliamentary-presidential republic to a presidential republic is being tested. Later, in the comments to the original post, he explained that he meant strengthening the President’s authority during wartime.
Olena Kondratiuk: working in the committee is the most essential part of an MP's work. In her interview with Ukrainian Pravda, VRU Deputy Speaker Olena Kondratiuk noted the importance of MPs’ work in the Parliament’s committees. “Many people think everything is decided at the plenary sessions, which is untrue. The most essential part of MPs' work should be concentrated within the committee”, she said. She also noted that the Constitution may be amended after the victory to implement the notion of a parliamentary republic in Ukraine.
USAID RADA: Next Generation (RANG) Activity helped increase the accountability capacity of the VRU Committee on Energy, Housing, and Utilities Services. On September 27, RANG, in cooperation with the Westminster Foundation for Democracy, assisted the VRU Committee in presenting the Post-Legislative Scrutiny (PLS) survey “The UK policy on energy efficiency and its lessons for Ukraine.” The research was prepared according to the results of implementing the Law of Ukraine "On Energy Efficiency." It describes the UK Government's policy to improve energy efficiency as part of its overall strategy to 2050. MPs, representatives of central executive authorities, international organizations, associations and donors, the German Agency for International Cooperation, European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations, and NGOs joined the event. The participants emphasized the importance of implementing the Law of Ukraine, "On Energy Efficiency," in particular during the process of energy plan development by local self-government bodies. Following the event's results, the working group decided to strengthen cooperation with the European partners regarding harmonizing Ukraine’s legislation with EU law. It worked out the solutions to motivate territorial communities to economical consumption of energy resources in accordance with energy efficiency goals.
RANG strengthened the legislative and accountability capacity of the VRU Committee on Energy, Housing and Utilities Services.
On September 25, RANG, in cooperation with the VRU Committee on Energy, organized the committee hearing “Clean Energy for All Europeans”: EU Energy Fourth Package”. The event was supported by Ukraine’s public authorities and private companies in the energy sphere as well as by the EU institutions. In particular, MPs, representatives of the Secretariat of the Energy Committee, EU Delegation to Ukraine, the Ministry of Energy, the Ministry of the Environment, the Ministry of Economy, the European Parliament's Committee on Industry, Research and Energy, the Energy Community Secretariat, NPC Ukrenergo, German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), Kness Group, NGO Ekodiya, experts and representatives of other associations participated in the committee hearing. Implementing the EU Energy Fourth Package will facilitate the demonopolization of the energy market in Ukraine; it includes measures on energy efficiency, renewable energy sources, electricity market design and energy supply security rules. During the event, the speakers presented the road map and the role of each national state institution in the implementation process despite the war in Ukraine. Also, the participants pointed out the existing developments in implementing specific EU directives and regulations and discussed the risks in the electricity sector and the possible ways of their elimination. As a result, based on public proposals, the VRU Committee on Energy will work out recommendations for the draft laws on market design under the EU Energy Fourth Package, which is highly important in the context of Ukraine’s implementation of its commitments on the way to the integration with the EU.
Program facilitated Parliamentaty Education Center (PEC) participation in the 6th Annual Conference of the International Forum of Parliament Visitor Centers to implement best practices into PEC operations. On September 26-29, PEC Staff Liliia Herasymenko and Olha Sukhova took part in the 6th Annual Conference of the International Forum of Parliament Visitor Centers at the Assembly of the Republic of North Macedonia in Skopje. Since 2016, the International Forum of Parliament Visitor Centers has been fostering professional cooperation and promoting the sharing of knowledge and best practices among visitor centers/education units worldwide. The International Forum is open to all parliaments that operate a visitor center, museum, specialized team, or department that offers visitor services to the public. Among the issues on which the Forum focuses are educational programs, organized tours, implementation of new technologies, exhibitions, accessibility, social media and publications. This year, the Annual Conference was held under the theme "Change, Adapt, Evolve: How to Stay Relevant in a Dynamic and Ever-changing Environment". During the conference, the Unit for Education and Communication of the Assembly gave participants a unique overview of its tours, educational programs and other learning activities. PEC staff shared their experiences of wartime activities with other participants of the forum.
RANG presented a strategy to VRU to develop social media pages. RANG communication experts finalized the working document to help VRU better engage with voters online in the 2023-2024 years.
RADA: Next Generation assisted the VRU Committee on Energy, Housing and Utilities Services in holding the online workshop on renewable energy with various stakeholders.**
On September 18, at the initiative of the VRU Committee on Energy, Program team, IOM Ukraine, NGO Ecoclub and Energy Act for Ukraine Foundation facilitated the organization of the workshop on the implementation of renewable energy distributed generation projects, their technical features and financing opportunities. Within the workshop, the participants developed their knowledge on technical and economic peculiarities facing the process of implementation of renewable energy distributed generation projects, their financial aspect, as well as additional preferences from the operation of such objects. MPs, members of the Committee Secretariat, representatives of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine and healthcare institutions, IOM Ukraine, and NGOs joined the workshop and shared their professional experiences on the issue. Following the results of the workshop the VRU Committee on Energy works out the plan on the legislative strengthening of the development and implementation of renewable energy projects in Ukraine. The video translation of the event can be viewed via the link.
Program helped VRU Education Center conduct 8 parliamentary lessons for more than 910 elementary, middle, and high school students as a follow-up after the PEC visit to the US Capitol Visitor Center
On September 19, PEC held two live lessons in Irpin at the Lyceum #2 for primary school children for the first time based on the experience gained during the PEC internship program at the US Visitor Center organized by RANG in July this year. During the lesson, the kids learned the basics about such notions as “power”, “parliament”, “law”, “member of parliament”, “voting”, etc. They also got acquainted with the basic functions of the parliament and its place in the governmental structure. To make the lesson interactive and engaging for such a young audience, the PEC familiarized the kids with the architecture of the VRU and offered them to make their own copies of the Ukrainian Parliament using modeling (super light clay). RANG helped PEC hold lessons for 9-11th grades to learn how the VRU operates, how MPs work, the specifics of developing and adopting laws, and challenges for the VRU during wartime in interactive forms. Parliamentary TV Channel “RADA” and local ITV covered the lessons. Also, RANG helped PEC hold the lessons on September 20 in the Lyceum #4 in Bucha. Altogether, 205 school children participated in the lessons, including 27 second graders and 178 ninth graders. On September 20, RANG helped PEC arrange parliamentary lessons for 290 Bila Tserkva National Agrarian University students. The lessons covered: VRU structure and main responsibilities, MPs responsibilities, specifics of developing and adopting laws, and challenges for the VRU during wartime. PEC also held lessons in the Lyceum #9 in Brovary on September 21 for 150 school children participated in the lessons, including 20 second graders and 129 nine graders. On September 22, a similar event was held for Ivan Franko Zhytomyr State University students. 140 students participated in the event. RANG arranged a training on civic parliamentary education for 20 representatives of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Office on September 19-20. participants joined the event. The event's main objective was to share the best practices for developing and implementing parliamentary civic education programs, learn about innovative tools and available methodical manuals, and practice planning educational events and developing informational and educational products for them.
Program arranged a seminar for VRU committees to exchange best practices with each other.
On September 21-22, RANG conducted a seminar for committees to exchange best practices. The Head of the VRU secretariat, Vyacheslav Shtuchnyi, delivered welcoming remarks, emphasizing the importance of peer-to-peer activities and horizontal communication among VRU committees. In the first session, three committees supported by RANG shared their best practices and experiences in post-legislative scrutiny, government oversight, and stakeholder communication. The following session focused on the role of committee secretariats, their coordination efforts, and collaboration with research services. The third session, moderated by the Deputy General Secretary of the Secretary of the Cabinet of Ministers, centered on government-VRU relations. On the second day, committees discussed their oversight roles and developed recommendations to enhance procedures.
Program grantee Institute Respublica arranged nine discussions on VRU role in Ukraine restoration during September 18-20, 2023.
The discussions are facilitated in the form of discussion clubs, where coordinators discuss methods and tools of collaboration and communication between citizens and the Parliament. On 18 September, the Institute Republica arranged a discussion club in Drohobych, Uzhgorod, and Khmelnytskyi. On 19 the same events occurred in Dnipro, Kamianets-Podilskyi, Kropyvnytskyi, on September 20 RANG grantee held in Ivano-Frankivsk and Zaporizhzhia.
Program grantee conducted a public consultation with MP to improve the mechanism of compensation for housing damaged and destroyed as a result of Russia's aggression on August 20.
Program grantee “Institute Respublica” hosted an event for 73 participants, among them, citizens, government representatives, NGOs experts worked on specific recommendations that can be addressed in Ukraine’s legislation with the help of MP, Olena Shuliak, Chairwoman of a Committee in the Verkhovna Rada for the Organization of the State Power, Local Self-Government, Regional Development and Urban Planning. Based on citizens' proposals, amendments will be introduced to the Law of Ukraine No. 2923-IX "On compensation for damage and destruction of certain categories of immovable property as a result of hostilities, acts of terrorism, sabotage caused by the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine" and the State Register of Property, damaged and destroyed as a result of hostilities, terrorist acts, sabotage caused by the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine.
USAID RADA: Next Generation Program arranged the parliamentary discussion with VRU Deputy Speaker Korniyenko at the media forum “Editorial Summit” to discuss communication during wartime with various groups of stakeholders.
On September 16, more than 300 Ukrainian media, experts, and government officials participated in the summit to discuss communication issues during the war and after the victory. RANG facilitated the participation of 50 regional journalists to enhance the Parliament’s ties with regional media and ensure openness in parliamentary communication. In panel discussions, speakers and participants raised issues related to information warfare and propaganda, new regulatory policies in the market, government communication, new media, working with foreign media, digitalization, the role of artificial intelligence, etc. Representatives of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Mykhailo Podolyak and Iryna Pobyedonostseva, Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine Hanna Malyar, First Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Oleksandr Kornienko, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov, representative of the Ministry of Culture Taras Shevchenko. RANG communication director Andriy Kulakov moderated a discussion with Oleksandr Kornienko, the First VRU Deputy Speaker. They touched upon the following topics: the work of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine under martial law, the current priorities of the parliament in legislative work and the regional issues on the agenda; the impact of the Law "On Media" on Ukrainian mass media; the interaction of the parliament with journalists and the prospects of opening a press center. Given that the media has no direct access to VRU during plenary meetings,, this discussion was important to demonstrate Parliament’s transparency in the context of Ukrainian journalists having direct access to VRU leadership. "Editorial" ("Redkolegiya") is the largest media forum in Ukraine, which unites representatives of television, press, radio and digital media. Media professionals come together to discuss problems and challenges in the market and jointly find solutions, share ideas on new content formats business development, and look at the profession from an ethical point of view.