In the afternoon session of the CIVEX meeting, a high level debate on the state of decentralization in Ukraine took place in the presence of the member of the Ukraine Parliament Mr Goncharenko, deputy minister for regional development Mr Nehoda, and president of Kharkiv regional council and head of delegation of the Ukrainian local authorities in CORLEAP, Mr Chernov. 

 

The EA president Mr Stanisław Szwabski welcomed the set-up of the COR Ukraine task force which will provide support and assistance to the Ukrainian local authorities in the implementation of reforms that Kiev intends to carry out to establish an appropriate and efficient territorial structure and division of powers in the country and that could also bring about a solution to the current political situation.

Ukraine is looking at the Polish model in the proposed reform where at local levels there is a local government but at the provincial level there is a mix of central and local government.

 

During the debate the EA member, Mr Lech, highlighted that close cooperation is underway between Polish and Ukrainian local authorities but more needs to be done to improve administrative capacity in the Ukraine. Expertise, training and seminars are badly needed to help the Ukrainian administration in the implementation of regional development strategies and organisation of local authorities.