Suggestions to improve legal arrangements for the implementation of the reform of the territorial organization of power and local government through decentralization

Abstract

Currently, there is a rather large-scale horizontal transformation of the public administration that includes several basic reforms in Ukraine. This applies not only to the reform of local government, but also to the reform of the administrative and territorial structure and changes in the system of territorial organization of the executive branch in general. As of 01.05.2020, 1070 united territorial communities (hereinafter referred to as UTCs) of almost 4882 villages, settlements and cities have already been voluntarily created. There is no doubt that not all UTCs have the sufficient capacity for effective development right now, but the already available results of the integration process have shown that the chosen path towards formation of the basic level of administrative and territorial structure (hereinafter referred to as ATS) is correct and has a number of positive trends.

The main problem that is becoming increasingly relevant today is that UTCs were formed unevenly, often unsystematically in the context of regions and districts, and one part of the territory came under the jurisdiction of communities, but the other one remains within the competence of district councils and district state administrations. In addition, the problem within the territories of the UTCs remains unresolved since their jurisdiction does not extend to the territory outside the settlements and is not enshrined in any of the existing legislative acts that would regulate the issue of ATS. Thus, it is important to adopt such a law, consolidate the legal status of new communities and redirect the reform from the basic to the subregional (district) and regional levels. 

The most logical and optimal way of legislative regulation of the issue of administrative and territorial structure of Ukraine should be the way of introducing relevant amendments to the Constitution of Ukraine. This is provided by the Concept and has been suggested in some draft laws. However, due to the fact that the adoption of amendments to the Constitution is a complex and long-term political process and that none of the bills are considered in Parliament, there is a need for reform and adoption of legislation within the current Constitution. This fact definitely complicates and limits the ability of the Government and Parliament to make systemic decisions that could ensure the comprehensiveness of the reform. However, in order to hold the next local elections on a new territorial basis, it is necessary to make a number of the most urgent decisions, in particular the list of competent communities and the boundaries of their territories should be approved by the Government; the draft decisions on the formation of new districts and the liquidation of current ones as well as the amendments to certain legislative acts on streamlining certain issues of activity and organization of public authorities, local governments in connection with the formation (liquidation) of districts should be submitted to the Parliament at the request of the Government.

Therefore, it is believed that in order to ensure the successful completion of the reform it is necessary to form a new legislative environment by continuing to improve the legislative and regulatory framework for the reform with the purpose of regulation of all aspects of a number of issues, as follows:

- to strengthen the constitutional and legal foundations of local government, to increase the efficiency of the system of local government. The changes should concern the improvement of the territorial organization of power and the strengthening of the constitutional and legal status of local government, specific provisions of the Constitution of Ukraine concerning ATS. In particular, it is advisable to introduce the following list of administrative and territorial units such as community, district, region, Autonomous Republic of Crimea, by noting that the community is the primary unit in the system of administrative and territorial structure of Ukraine.

- to form a territorial basis for the organization of the system of local government and local executive bodies by approving the administrative and territorial structure at the level of communities and districts.

- to complete the formation of a new ATS by the time the next local election comes, within a time frame that would allow it to be held in 2020 on a new territorial basis of the basic and subregional levels.

- to decide on the new system of the ATS taking into account the principle of subsidiarity, the powers of local governments and local executive bodies.

We believe that the implementation of the outlined tasks and the adoption of the priority laws and decisions of the Government will ensure the transition of the country to a new model of multilevel governance and contribute to the enhancement of the effectiveness of local governments in addressing issues of improvement of the quality of life in local communities through the establishment of effective local government as an institution of capable public authority, the efficient use of public resources, the sustainable development of all territories of Ukraine on a new spatial basis and the ability to adequately respond to social and economic challenges.