In September, MPs have registered 342 draft laws and resolutions of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.
Members of the Party of Regions have submitted 196 draft laws and resolutions; AUU Batkivshchyna – 63; CPU – 29; AUU Svoboda – 11. Representatives of different factions have jointly introduced 22 bills. Non-faction deputies have prepared 12 drafts. MPs of the UDAR have registered only 9 drafts.
In September, MPs of Ukraine were focused on political issues and improvement of the state governance. However, all the parliamentary factions were focused on different issues in their draft laws. AUU Batkivshchyna, AUU Svoboda, UDAR, and non-faction MPs were paying special attention to economic issues. These very issues were also prioritized by interfaction draft laws, which were jointly submitted by representatives of different factions.
MPs of the Party of Regions were concentrated on political issues and state governance, and members of the CPU were actively working on social problems and standards.
On the beginning of the III session of the Parliament, MPs were mostly interested in political issues and the state governance (33% of the total number of bills).
However, they are also interested in economic reforms and improvement of financial and administrative procedures. 25% of draft laws, registered by MPs in September, concern these issues.
13% of bills are aimed to facilitate the development of law-enforcement and judicial systems, as well as fighting against corruption.
10% of draft laws concern social issues and standards, 6% – humanitarian policy, 5% – introduction of holidays and memorable dates. Other issues were almost unconsidered by MPs in their law-making activities.
There are some peculiarities of thematic division of legislative initiatives.
52% of projects, introduced by members of the Party of Regions concern politics and state administration. In particular, the majority of these projects are Resolutions of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on appointment of special local elections. Economics is the second popular issue among members of the PR (20%).
Members of the AUU Batkivshchyna were focused on drafting laws which regulate economic issues (27% of bills). Humanitarian issues were on the second place for the AUU Batkivshchyna (22%).
Bills of the CPU predominantly concerned social issues and standards (48%). Humanitarian issues were on the second place for the CPU (28%).
Members of the AUU Svoboda were focused on economic issues (63%). Politics and state administration issues were of the second priority for members of the Svoboda (18%).
Members of the UDAR party were also concentrated on economic issues (33%). However, health care and medicine issues were on the second place for the UDAR.
Non-faction MPs were mostly interested in economic issues (42%). Non-faction MPs were equally focused on social issues, politics and state administration, and environment and natural resource management (17% each).
Interfaction draft laws mostly concerned economic issues (27%). The second largely considered issues in interfaction draft laws were humanitarian.
PARTY OF REGIONS of Ukraine
In September, the Party of Regions has registered 196 draft laws. 142 of them (72%) – are formal resolutions on rejection of a draft law, sending it for further elaboration, or adoption in the first reading. Besides that, 86 of these resolutions concern the appointment of special local elections. The biggest part of registered initiatives pertain to economy and administration (45% of the total amount) However, there were also a lot of drafts concerning politics and state administration (17%), and judicial and law-enforcement systems (12%). Foreign affairs and defense remained unconsidered, similarly to medicine, considered in formal resolutions only.
Economics, finance, and administration
In September, MPs have registered 40 bills, 18 of which are formal resolutions regarding adopted as a basis, rejected, or sent for further elaboration draft laws. The other 22 documents are amendments to existing laws and codes, plus one draft law on Circuses and Circus Activities, submitted by Taisiia Povalii.
MP Andrii Pinchuk has proposed to establish the state monopoly on lotteries in order to prevent gambling under the guise of lotteries (#3161). He also proposed that only the Derzhavny Oschadny Bank will be allowed to organize lotteries.
Two more documents concern land issues. Oleh Tsariov has submitted draft amendments to the Land Code (#3243), which provides exemption of loss recovery of agricultural and forestry production for the certain objects of state construction. Volodymyr Pylypenko has registered a draft law (#3162), which provides that the state land ownership shall be acquired and realized by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, Autonomous Republic of Crimea Supreme Council of Ministers, oblast and raion state administrations, as well as state administrations of Kyiv and Sevastopol cities.
Valerii Omelchenko and Anatolii Kinakh have proposed to amend the State Budget and the Economic Code in order to broaden the list of subjects who receive the state guarantees. Valerii Omelchnko proposed to include the National Space Agency of Ukraine in this list (#3188), and Anatolii Kinakh is convinced that state guarantees should be provided not only to state, but also to private enterprises (#3209).
Oleh Zarubinskyi has submitted a draft law (#3230), which abolishes standards on recommended and mandatory bioethanol content in motor gasoline produced by Ukrainian refineries for export, as well as motor gasoline and motor gasoline mixtures imported into Ukraine.
Social issues and standards
MPs of the Party of Regions have registered seven draft laws which concern social issues. All these draft laws are aimed to improve social support for war invalids, students, and families of moderate means.
Humanitarian policy
Only two MPs have registered bills which concern humanitarian sector. Elbrus Tedeiev has proposed (#3197) to increase 2013 State Budget expenditures in order to provide 2.3 million UAH to the SUZIRIA Ukrainian Youth Aerospace Association for realization of aerospace youth programs, particularly thematic changes, all-Ukrainian contests "Space Fantasies", "Peaceful Space", festivals "Constellation Artek", Constellation Laspi" etc. These funds were proposed to be covered by expenditure on public debt and compensation of devalued savings. Volodymyr Medianyk (#3105-1) deems it necessary to amend the Law on General Secondary Education, and shift the Knowledge Day to workday if it turns out to be on weekends.
Politics and state administration
Although MPs have submitted 101 draft laws and resolutions, 86 of them concern the appointment of special local elections, and are submitted by Davyd Zhvaniia. Besides the elections of village heads and to different local councils, there were also some resolutions on the appointment of city mayor elections in Feodosiia, Netishyn, Bilipillia, and Barvinkivtsi for December 15.
A considerable part of drafts which do not concern the elections, pertain to activities of MPs. Andrii Pinchuk has proposed (#3171) amendments to the Law on the Status of National Deputies of Ukraine, which provide that the presence of MPs during sessions of local councils is regulated by the procedure, established by the corresponding council. Similar amendments regarding assistants to MPs will be also introduced. Draft amendments to the Article 59(4) of the Rules of Parliamentary Procedure were registered by Volodymyr Makieienko (#3258), which provide reconsideration of minimal number of MPs in a deputy group. According to the amendment, the minimal number of MPs in deputy group shall be 15 persons. Two more Draft regulations, registered by Makieienko (#3213, 3214), concern inclusion of MPs to different committees: Makhailo Lanio to the Committee on Social Policy; and Roman Stadniichuk to the Committee on the Rule of Law and Justice. Vladyslav Lukianenko and Mykola Levchenko (#3290) have introduced amendments to the Law of Ukraine on Elections of People's Deputies and on the Central Election Commission, which provide that the administrative lawsuit against establishment of the election results by the Central Election Commission may be considered by the Higher Administrative Court of Ukrainian only before MPs of Ukraine take an oath. Besides that, the amendments also provide that the election results, established by the Central Election Commission are not subject to appeal after MPs of Ukraine have taken the oath.
Valerii Omelchuk has proposed (#3227) not apply the Law of Ukraine on Public Procurement when "scientific researches, developments, fabrication and testing of space hardware are procured".
Yevhenii Hiellier has introduced a Resolution on the report of the Accounting Chamber for 2012 (#3203).
Law-enforcement system, justice, and fighting against corruption
In this sector, MPs have registered 32 draft laws. 65% of them are formal draft resolutions.
Some initiatives provide cancellation of court fees for different state institutions: Viktor Butkivskyi took care of the State Emergency Service and its territorial bodies (#3245), and Volodymyr Demishkan proposed to use a word combination "state authorities" instead of the list of state authorities which are exempt from court fees (#3184).
Volodymyr Oliinyk has submitted two draft laws. In amendments to the Code of Administrative Offenses (#3160), he proposed to impose a penalty in amount of 50-100 subsistence minimums for non-provision of information, requested by police officers to fulfill their duties, by officials of enterprises, institutions, and organizations irrespective of the form of ownership. The MP has also prepared amendments to the Criminal Code (#3285) to strengthen responsibility for violation of the safety rules when operating railway, water or air transport.
Introduction of holidays and memorable dates
Almost 4% of registered draft laws concern celebration of anniversaries and military feats. Vadym Kolesnichenko has registered a Draft Resolution on Celebration of the Kindness Day in Ukraine on November 13 (#3328).
Environment and natural resource management
Only two draft laws, registered by Volodymyr Oliinyk and Oleksii Leliuk, concerned the improvement of environmental situation. Volodymyr Oliinyk has registered amendments to the Law of Ukraine on Regulation of Urban Development, in order to control observance of legislation on green plantations by developers, and introduce mandatory permits for the removal of green plantations. Oleksii Leliuk has introduced amendments to some legislative acts, which are going to strengthen accountability for the contamination of territories and natural resources (#3236).
AUU BATKIVSHCHYNA
In general, AUU Batkivshchyna has registered 63 draft laws during the III session. These draft laws predominantly concerned economy and administration (17), and reforming of law-enforcement system (10). Besides that, the biggest opposition faction focused its law-making activities in social standards (10) and introduction of different holidays (6). However, in comparison to previous months, this faction has introduced a small number of legislative initiatives.
Members of the AUU Batkivshchyna Oleksandr Bryhynets and Andrii Pavlovskyi introduced a draft law on the video registration by policemen and Ruslan Kniazevych registered the bill on Making Amendments to the Law of Ukraine on the Election of the President of Ukraine. These draft laws became the most resonant. Besides that, Mr. Kniazevych proposed to grant official observers from civic organizations the status of the election process subject, with all the corresponding powers.
Economics, finance, and administration
Only 17 legislative initiatives of the biggest opposition faction concerned financial and economic issues. MPs took care of the passenger transportation services, securing citizen rights on free transportation and the right of private investors who invest in home construction, subventions for the Donetsk oblast budget.
MPs Valerii Holovko and Hennadii Zubko have proposed to secure the rights of private investors who invest in home construction (#3174). This legislative initiative introduces amendments to the number of legislative acts of Ukraine: Law of Ukraine on Investment Activity; Law of Ukraine on State Registration of Rights to Real Estate and their Encumbrances; Law of Ukraine on Financial and Credit Mechanisms and Property Management for Housing Construction and Real Estate Operations. MPs have assured that this draft law will help to secure the rights of investors, increase the investment in this sector, and motivate the customers (owners) of unfinished construction objects.
Lidiia Koteliak has proposed to improve the state regulation and control in the sector of motor transport and passenger transportation (#3176), as well as the technical rules for transport use and road traffic rules. Oleksandr Bryhynets and Andrii Pavlovskyi proposed to establish a moratorium on increasing prices for passenger transport (not including taxi) (#3331), in order to secure the right for free transportation.
Yurii Vozniuk has registered a Draft Law on Making Amendments to Some Laws of Ukraine on Using Contract as a Special Form of Labor Contract (#3196). He proposed that officials of the educational establishments, owned by the state, would be appointed for not less than three years; of the communal ownership – for open-ended position; of the other forms of ownership – for not less than three years or open-ended position. The MP has also proposed to allow applying for the state registration of rights and encumbrances by mail (#3296). Mr. Vozniuk proposed to introduce amendments to the Law of Ukraine on Siting, Design and Construction of 3 and 4 Power Units of Khmelnitsky Nuclear Power Station (#3302) in order to secure the sufficient financing of construction.
Valerii Sushkevych has registered draft amendments to the supplement #3 Law of Ukraine on the State budget of Ukraine for 2013 (#3257), in order to provide State subventions in amount of 1.350 thousand UAH to the Donetsk oblast budget for curing wheelchair users with spinal cord injury.
Olha Sikora and Anatolii Dyriv have proposed to regulate import duty rates on polyvinylchloride, thereby to reduce the the cost of raw materials in order to reduce output prices (#3284).
MP Ihor Brychenko has proposed to provide financial support to agricultural commodity producers, which invest in irrigation in Ukraine (#3324).
Social issues and standards
In September, MPs were not very concerned about social issues and standards, and have registered only 10 legislative initiatives in this sector. In particular, they concerned unjustified cancellation of payments to mothers for a birth of a child, discrimination of disabled persons and violation of the rights of individuals who are under the wardship.
Tetiana Sliuz has registered a draft law on making amendments to Articles 66 and 71 of the Civil Code of Ukraine on protection of rights and interests of individuals who are under the wardship (custody) (#3231).This bill provides the procedure which allows the Custody and Care Authority to grant officials of educational establishments, and health care or social protection institutions the powers of guardian or custodian of a physical person who is staying in this establishment or institution.
Valerii Sushkevych has initiated a draft law on making amendments to some laws of Ukraine on strengthening social protection of disabled and securing their right for unimpeded access to transport services (#3232), which will help to remove hidden discrimination of disabled people in the society and assist to their self-independence etc.
Yurii Vozniuk has proposed to delete a regulation from the Article 11 of the Law of Ukraine on State Support to Families with Children, which provides that the financial support after the birth of a child cannot be canceled under any grounds.
Humanitarian policy
Members of Parliament have registered 14 legislative initiatives in September, which concerned humanitarian policy.
Ivan Stoiko has proposed to make amendments to the Article 6 of the Law of Ukraine on Advertising
(#3222), which will provide that Ukrainian language only shall be used in advertising, in accordance with the Article 10 of the Constitution of Ukraine.
Legislative initiative submitted by Valerii Sushkevych is aimed to eliminate discrimination of all-Ukrainian and international civic organizations, which were registered before January 1, 2013 (#3235).
Politics and state administration
Konstiantyn Bondariev has registered an alternative Draft Law of Ukraine on Making Amendments to the Law of Ukraine on the Status of National Deputies of Ukraine (#3171), which secures the right of MPs and their assistants to participate in meetings of local self-government bodies and local authorities.
The Draft Law on Making Amendments to the Law of Ukraine on the Election of the President of Ukraine (regarding the improvement of technical and legal base of electoral process) (#3224), submitted by Ruslan Kniazevych, provides: regulations and the procedure for securing information support during the Presidential elections in Ukraine; improved legal status of authorized representatives and proxies of candidates for the President of Ukraine in the Central Election Commission; improved legal status of official observers, and observers from civic organizations and granting them the status of the election process subject with the corresponding powers.
Law-enforcement system, justice, and fighting against corruption
Members of the Batkivshchyna have registered 10 legislative initiatives pertaining to the law-enforcement and judicial systems and fighting against corruption. These bills were aimed to: improve living conditions of prisoners; establish liability for dissemination of materials denying or justifying Holocaust (up to five years of improvement); and introduce the mandatory video recording by policemen when acting in public.
Konstiantyn Bondariev has proposed (draft law #3098-1) to amend the Article 359(1) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine in order to substitute the wording "trafficking, purchase and use" with "illegal manufacturing", due to popularization of small recording devices like recorders, camcorders, digital pens with built-in audio recording functions etc.
The liability for denying the Holocaust or justification of genocides (#3165) was proposed by Serhii Faiermak – the punishment for such actions is imprisonment not exceeding five years.
Arsen Avakov and Valerii Holovko have registered the Draft Law on Making Amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine (on improvement of some regulations) (#3168), which provides: elimination of legislative collisions in organization of expertise; returning the concept "returning the case for supplementary investigation"; giving a victim the right to independently apply for changing the classification of criminal offense etc.
Tetiana Sliuz has proposed to amend the Law of Ukraine on Enforcement Proceedings
(#3192) in order to protect human rights secured by the Constitution, particularly the right to work and protection from unlawful dismissal, the obligation to execute court decisions.
Iryna Lutsenko, Andrii Kozhemiakin and Pavlo Petrenko have registered a Draft Law on Making Amendments to the Criminal Executive Code of Ukraine (regarding improvement of conditions for serving sentences) (#3200), in order to bring the conditions of serving sentences to correspondence with constitutional requirements and European standards.
Andrii Pavlovskyi and Oleksandr Bryhynets are willing to introduce the mandatory video recording by policemen when acting in public, in order to eliminate the main factor of the corruption and introduce the main principle of openness to activities of police officers (#3330).
COMMUNIST PARTY OF UKRAINE
Members of the Communist Party were quite active in September. The total amount of legislative initiatives submitted by MPs during the reported period is 29 - 11 draft laws and 18 draft resolutions. They paid special attention to the transference of the state and communal property to the concession, securing the proper labor safety at enterprises, and the right of joint ownership of apartment buildings. Besides that, MPs have taken care of the Parliament's publicity issues. The corresponding draft law provides air time for MPs on radio and TV channels, which are founded or co-founded by state authorities, organizations, or establishments that are fully or partly financed from the State Budget. It was proposed to provide air time in the evening – from 6pm to 10pm. Draft resolutions, submitted by the Communists are predominantly formal, as long as they are signed by Petro Tsybenko as the Head of the Committee on Social Policy and Labor. The other drafts concern the celebration of memorable dates.
Economics, finance, and administration
Two of 11 bills drafted by the Communist Party concern the transference of the state property through the concession. Thus, according to the draft law #3240 (submitted by P. Symonenko, Ye. Marmazov, O. Boryta), the market value of the object, the ratio of average capital productivity in the relevant sector and average capital productivity in the economy, as well as the profitability level, should be taken into consideration when calculating concession payments, which are to be approved by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. Besides that, the maximum size of concession payment cannot be lower than the depreciation charged per quarter. Another Draft Law (#3247) secures transparent and precise conditions for the preparation of centralized water supply and drainage systems before their transference to the concession etc.
Amendments, proposed by Petro Symonenko in the draft law #3241, provide the State budget revenue increase by selling real property of budgetary institutions. In case the draft law is adopted in the Parliament, all the revenues from the use and realization of property belonging to the Small Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, and all the academies and organizations in the sector, will be given to the State Treasury instead of used for the implementation of statutory duties.
Social issues and standards
Petro Symonenko and Spyrydon Kilinkarov have submitted a draft law on housing associations (#3306), which would provide a legislative base for inhabitants of multistory buildings to realize their right to co-own multi-apartment buildings and choose how to manage them. The document also provides some mechanisms for efficient maintenance and preservation of already existing housing resources. This legislative act introduces amendments to the Land, Civil, and Tax Codes of Ukraine, and repeals the Law of Ukraine on Condominium Associations.
Besides that, the CPU has initiated amendments to the Article 19 of the Law of Ukraine on Labor Protection (#3244). Author of the draft law, Volodymyr Bidiovka, is convinced that Ukraine should provide better financing for workplace preventive measures in enterprises. Therefore, obligatory expenses on workplace preventive measures should be covered by not less than 0.5 percent of the year's realized output, works, goods, and services, but not of the salary fund for the previous year, as it's established now.
Draft Law on Making Amendments to the USSR Housing Code (#3311, initiated by Spiridon Kilinkarov, provides that citizens which have been living for 5 or more years in a rented house or apartment, shall be considered as individuals who need their living conditions to be improved, and, therefore, they should be included into the housing waiting list. Another draft law that pertain to the housing sector, initiated by the Oksana Kaletnyk and Ihor Kalientik, concerns simplification of conditions for the property inheritance. Authors of the bill (#3336) proposed to grant notaries additional powers, particularly: to notarize acceptance of an inheritance beyond the time limit for filing the statement, and define an additional period for the acceptance (in case of valid reason). Such changes would widen the powers of inheritors when claiming their rights for property.
AUU SVOBODA
In September 2013, MPs of the AUU Svoboda faction have registered 19 draft regulations, particularly 12 draft laws and 7 draft resolutions. A half of legislative initiatives submitted by members of the Svoboda (10) concern financial, economic, and administrative issues. Social issues (4 bills) have taken the third place in the agenda of the AUU Svoboda. There are also some bills pertaining to the state administration, environment issues and natural resource management, and health care. Humanitarian issues, justice, foreign affairs, security and defense were nto considered by members of the Svoboda in September. This month, the draft laws registered by the AUU Svoboda are aimed to neutralize consequences of so-called pension reform, strengthen controlling powers of MPs, canceling environmental tax for the transport vehicle utilization, facilitation of street trading in temporary facilities.
Social issues and standards
In order to improve the demographic situation and soften consequences of the pension reform, Yurii Mykhalchyshyn has proposed (draft law #3212) to give women who gave birth to one or more children the right to retire earlier than the effective legislation allows. In particular, according to the draft law, women who gave birth to one or more children and were raising them till the age of sixteen, have the right to receive the early age pension minus 2 years from the minimum pension age for each child, providing that they have at least 20 years of pensionable service.
Another bill (#3223), drafted by one third of the membership of the AUU Svoboda, provides a new procedure for determining the maximal pension rates with the use of minimal age pension rates instead of the subsistence minimum, established for persons who have lost their capacity of earning a living. According to the bill, the maximum size of such pension would be five minimal age pensions The minimal pension would be two and a half subsistence minimums, established for persons who have lost their capacity of earning a living. In general, the draft law is aimed to improve the financial situation of low-income citizens and reduce the diversity of the pay, guaranteed by the state.
Politics and state administration
Draft law #3171-2, submitted by Ihor Shvaika, was a response to the draft law #3171, registered by Andrii Pinchuk, who has proposed that MPs and their assistants were given the right of deliberative vote during the sessions of local councils, according to the procedure established by the corresponding council. According to colleagues of Mr. Pinchuk (K. Bondariev from the AUU Batkivshchyna has also registered an alternative draft law), the initiated draft law will restrict controlling functions of MPs. Thus, member of the Svoboda Mr. Shvaika proposed in his draft law that every MP has the right to speak on every issue of the agenda, considered by the local council, and participate in discussion of such issues. This right shall not be restricted. Besides that, Mr. Shvaika is convinced that assistants to MPs should have the right to speak on behalf of the Member of Parliament. Local executive bodies and local self-government bodies don't have the right to ban the presence of assistants to MPs or their speaking on the corresponding issues of the agenda.
The bill drafted by O. Myrnyi and I. MIroshnychenko is also aimed to improve the controlling functions of MPs. The draft law #3274 provides that MPs of Ukraine have the right to receive information on issues pertaining to their parliamentary duties from officials of the state or communal enterprises and institutions, as well as officials of enterprises, institutions, and organizations irrespective of the form of ownership and subordination, which were involved in procurement procedures during the last three years.
Health care and medicine
Oleh Helevyi has proposed (#3326) to put into operation a specialized team of emergency medical service (cardiopulmonary resuscitation, antishock, toxicological, psychiatric) – as a type of emergency medical service. Specialized emergency team is a team of emergency medical service, which includes a medical specialist (cardiologist, neurologist, psychiatrist, pediatrician) or emergency medicine physician who received further specialization (e.g., toxicologist). An ambulance for these types of emergency teams shall be equipped correspondingly. Such emergency teams shall be aimed to provide medical care for persons in emergency conditions, which must be treated at the site or during transportation to the health care institution in a specially equipped ambulance.
Economics, finance, and administration
I. Miroshnychenko, O. Myrnyi, and O. Sukhovskyi have proposed (draft law #3332) to delete some regulations of the Tax Code of Ukraine, which standardize and govern the ecological tax for the disposal of vehicles which were withdrawn from service, when they are imported into the customs territory of Ukraine. According to MPs, the ecological tax for vehicles disposal endangers equal opportunities for imported and domestic vehicle manufacturers, and is contradictory to the World Trade Organization Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade. MPs emphasize that this agreement prohibits the introduction of limiting measures, which would give privileges to national manufacturers in Member countries of the WTO, and they are right. However, their main arguments distort the matter of the agreement itself. MPs interpret the ecological tax as a limiting measure, which gives privileges to importers, but not to national manufacturers (as is determined by the agreement).
Oleh Makhnitskyi has registered a draft law #3156, aimed to simplify the street trade. In particular, it simplifies the rules of permit system and precisely regulates the location and use of temporary facilities (TF). Besides that, the draft law allows larger TFs than those are allowed now. Thus, a new concept "trading gallery" is introduced, what means the group of adjacent TFs on the space under 150 square m. While the effective Law of Ukraine on Regulation of Urban Development provides that the enclosed space of TFs for temporary stay of people shall not exceed 30 square m., the draft law registered by O. Makhnitskyi provides that the total area of such TF shall not exceed 150 square m. The draft law also prohibits to locate TFs which sale tobacco and alcohol products closer than 200 meters from facilities or the territory of preschool establishments and schools, healthcare facilities, sports venues, or culture and leisure establishments.
Mykhailo Blavatskyi and Oleksii Kaida have registered a draft law #3166, in order to secure that fines, imposed for violation of legislation on the securities market which are not paid on a voluntary basis, are promptly included into the State Budget. The problem is that, according to the consideration of cases on violations of legislation on the securities market in 2012, conducted by the Securities and Stock Market State Commission, the total amount of imposed fines was 48.79 million UAH, but only 3.22 million UAH were paid to the State Budget. Thus, the draft law provides that resolutions of the State Commissions regarding fines, imposed for violation of legislation on the securities market, shall have the status of executive documents, which are subject to enforcement by the state executive service.
MPs O. Myrnyi, I. Miroshnychenko and O. Kaida have decided to regulate (#3264) the issue of paying off indebted and current payments for single contributions for mandatory state social insurance, for insurance, and for compensation of actual expenses on delivery and payment of privileged pensions to the Pension Fund of Ukraine. In particular, they proposed to arrange an installment plan to repay the single contributions for mandatory state social insurance in 36 months. In case payers dutifully repay their indebted single contributions, penalties and late payment interest are not charged.
Members of the AUU Svoboda have also regulated this month the management of the state property - cult buildings, fortresses and property belonging to the cultural heritage (#3194-2). MPs (O. Syrotiuk, M. Holovko, O. Kaida) have proposed that any agreement on the use or management of national monuments shall contain provisions securing the targeted use and the conservation of monuments, including the list of maintenance works to be done, and the name of person who receives the monument in the use or management. Non-performance of requirements concerning the conservation of a monument shall be a basis for cancellation of the agreement on the use or management of national monuments.
MPs O. Syrotiuk, M. Holovko, and Ye. Melnyk have registered two connected draft laws, which secure equal rights for subjects of economic activities of the state and communal ownership in matters of state guarantees for their liabilities. Initiators have proposed to amend the Law of Ukraine on the State budget of Ukraine for 2013 (#3210-1) and the Economic Code of Ukraine (#3209-1), in order to secure state guarantees for liabilities of enterprises, institutions, organizations of the state and communal ownership which are financing investment-related projects on objects of national importance.
UDAR PARTY
In September, members of the UDAR faction have registered only 9 legislative initiatives in the Verkhovna Rada: 6 draft laws and 3 draft resolutions. Traditionally, matters of legislative initiatives pertain to economic and administrative issues, and the state administration. In contrast to the previous months, members of the UDAR haven't registered any draft laws on justice and fighting against corruption issues. Key issues considered by the UDAR party members during the last month were: securing the food quality, simplifying business regulations, availability of high-quality drinking water, appointment of special elections of Kyiv Mayor and City Council.
Economics, finance, and administration
A group of members of the UDAR party (O. Prodan, N. Ahafonova, F. Nehoi, O. Bielkova, S. Kaplin ta R. Pavlenko) have registered a Draft Law on Making Amendments to Some Laws of Ukraine on Food Safety (#3102-1), in order to improve the state control in the sphere of food safety with consideration of EU requirements, and minimize the government interference in the production and circulation of food products. In particular, they have proposed to create a single controlling body for all types of food; cancel the permit procedures which don't exist in the EU; introduce European principles for GMO regulation; establish precise requirements for the procedures of the state control over domestic food and imported products in Ukraine according to European practices; improve the terminology in order to secure its harmonization with the EU legislation. The bill was created to regulate the relationship between executive authorities, food market operators and consumers of food, and determine the procedure of securing the safety of food, produced and in circulation, as well as imported into the customs territory of Ukraine and/or exported.
In order to simplify the permitting system and facilitate the business environment, a group of 6 MPs (V. Klychko, V. Kovalchuk, O. Prodan, V. Nalyvaichenko, V. Chumak, R. Pavlenko, P. Rozenko) has registered a Draft Law on Cancellation of Excessive Control (#3256). This draft law cancels 87 regulations in Ukrainian legislation, which require obtaining the permitting documentation, and/or establish regulations controlling economic activities. The authors are convinced that such innovations will free manufacturing enterprises from the administrative pressure and corruption, and create the conditions for competitive production of Ukrainian goods and services.
R. Solvar has registered one more draft law (#3235 on Making Amendments to the Budget Code of Ukraine) in order to solve the problem of qualitative drinking water. As long as the State Budget of Ukraine for 2013 doesn't contain expenditures on the "Drinking water" state targeted program, the MP has proposed to amend the Budget Code of Ukraine and use fees for the special use of water, that are paid to the State Budget and local budgets, for water protection measures (clearing basins and river beds, and keeping them in good condition, transferring water to dry areas, restoring sources and origins of rivers), and to finance modernization and development projects for the centralized water supply and drainage systems.
The bill #3215-1 (registered by N. Ahafonova, O. Prodan, V. Nalyvaichenko, T. Kutovyi, O. Bielkova, A. Putilov, V. Chuhunnikov) was drafted to prevent abuses committed by officials of controlling authorities, and strengthen their responsibility for damage caused to taxpayers by unlawful decisions, actions, or inaction. The document provides the compensation of such damages with the funds, allocated from the State Budget for the financing of this body. According to the Tax Code, such compensations are covered by the budget funds, allocated for such purposes by the controlling body. Therefore, if the corresponding controlling body didn't allocate any such funds, the taxpayers couldn't receive any compensation. Besides that, the lawmakers provided the possibility of filing counterclaim against the official or employee of the controlling authority for the benefit of the state in the amount of paid compensation.
Health care and medicine
MP R. Solvar has registered a Draft Law #3226 on Making Amendments to the Air Code of Ukraine in order to improve the quality control for medical certification of aviation personnel by aviation medical centers, and designate the Ukrainian State Aviation Medical Center of Civil Aviation as the Main Aviation Medicine Center. Such measures, according to the MP, will increase the impartiality of medical certification, and contribute to the researching and forecasting the factors influencing professional longevity of pilots.
Other issues
As for draft resolutions, two of them are rather formal than purposeful, as long as they were registered by Valerii Patskan as a Head of parliamentary committee, but not on his own initiative. In particular, these draft resolutions pertained to the rejection of the draft law of Ukraine on e-register of preschool children and to adoption of the draft law of Ukraine on making amendments to the article 9 of the Law of Ukraine on the Citizenship of Ukraine as a basis. Besides that, on September 17, a group of MPs from the UDAR (V. Klychko, V. Kovalchuk, N. Novak, V. Chumak) has registered a Draft Resolution on the Appointment of Special Kyiv Mayoral and City Council Elections to December 15, 2013. This resolution provides that financial and technical support during the preparation and conduct of elections on December 15, 2013 shall be financed from the State Budget of Ukraine.
DRAFT LAWS SUBMITTED BY NON-FACTION MPS
In September 2013, non-faction deputies have independently drafted 12 bills. Most of them (5 bills) concerned economic issues. MPs have also paid attention to social issues (2 bills), politics and state administration (2), environment issues and natural resource management (2), and local self-government (1). In contrast to the previous months, non-faction deputies were not interested in humanitarian issues, medicine and health care, foreign affairs, and the national security and defense.
Economics, finances, and administration
In draft law #3289, Lev Myrymskyi has proposed to amend the Law of Ukraine on Land Lease. According the the draft law, the term of land lease shall be not less than 49 years if the leaser has built some objects, established agricultural production, or is using this land in other entrepreneurial activities. The MP has emphasized that the effective legislation gives lessors the possibilities to manipulate with the term of land lease. Another MP Vasyl Kravchuk was also concerned about this very problem. In his draft law #3206, the MP proposed to establish two types of land lease in the Land Code of Ukraine: short-term for not more than 10 years, and long-term for not less than 10 and not more than 50 years. Simultaneously, the MP has proposed to establish the minimal term of agricultural tenancy – 10 years.
Ihor Yeremeiev has initiated amendments to the Land Code of Ukraine concerning the possibility of giving lands of Water fund to the permanent use of nature protection institutions (#3208). Besides that, the amendments provide that these institutions will be exempted from loss recovery of agricultural and forestry production.
The MP Vasyl Petiovka has registered the draft law #3185, which establishes a differentiated price for wholesale wine licenses, wine materials of own production, depending on the volume of annual production. Instead, Viacheslav Kutovyi has initiated cancellation of excise duty on the import of liquefied natural gas for communal and everyday needs of the population.
Social issues and standards
Viktor Baloha has proposed in the draft law #3205 to broaden the list of documents which shall be submitted by parents in order to receive financial support after the birth of a child. Besides the birth certificate, parents must submit a document certifying that they are providing proper allowance and upbringing conditions for the children who were born earlier. The MP is convinced that the state financial support after the birth of a child became easy money for some families which don't have any desire to raise their children in the future.
Politics and state administration
Non-faction MP Viktor Baloha has registered two draft laws, #3329 and #3224-1, aimed to introduce electronic vote counting during Parliamentary and Presidential elections in Ukraine. The author refers to similar experience of Estonia, where the electronic voting system was introduced. Mr. Baloha proposed to simplify vote counting procedures with the help of technical means and electronic ballot boxes. Such technical means are supposed to automatically receive, recognize and count ballot papers, create and print vote counting protocols on polling stations, upload voting results to storage media which can be transported to election commissions of higher level. Electronic ballot box will consist of scanning equipment, built into a semitransparent box, and a set of peripheral devices to print protocols of precinct election commission, secure interaction between hardware and data transfer.
Environment and natural resource management
A group of non-faction deputies (Ihor Yeremeiev, Stepan Ivakhiv, Serhii Martyniak, Serhii Labaziuk) have jointly registered draft law #3236-1 in order to strengthen administrative liability for the environmental pollution. In particular, fines for such actions will significantly increase.
Viktor Baloha, in his draft law #3265, took care of public access to coastal protection areas of water objects and beaches. The bill regulates various aspects of establishing coastal protection areas, using beaches, and public access to the lands of sanatoriums and medical and health facilities.
Local self-governments
Lev Myrymskyi has registered a Draft Law on the Capital of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea –Simferopol City. This draft law determines functions of the Simferopol as a capital, and peculiarities of its local self-government. On October 3, 2013 Mr. Myrymskyi has withdrawn his draft law.
INTER-FACTION BILLS
In September 2013, representatives of different factions have jointly registered 22 draft laws. Most of them concerned economic (6 drafts) and humanitarian issues (5). Politics and state administration – 3 drafts, law-enforcement and judicial systems – 2 drafts, environment and natural resource management – 2 drafts, local self-government – 2 drafts, social issues and standards – 1 draft, health care and medicine – 1 draft.
Economics, finances, and administration
Oleh Kulinich (Party of Regions), Stepan Ivakhiv (non-faction deputy), and Valerii Lunchenko (AUU Batkivshchyna) have initiated amendments pertaining to the use of land in agricultural purposes (#3316). In particular, they proposed to establish a minimal term for the lease of agricultural land (12 years), oblige the landholder to pay damages related to the deterioration of soil quality, and introduce the mandatory laboratory analysis of soil in every six years.
12 MPs of Ukraine (Serhii Labaziuk (non-faction), Stanislav Skubashevskyi (Party of Regions), Olha Boryta (CPU), Oleh Lukashuk (AUU Batkivshchyna), Viktor Chumak (UDAR) and others) have jointly introduced the draft law #3298 regarding the improvement of appraisal activities. The bill provides cancellation of land appraisal during the registration of heritage. After the firts reading, the Central Scientific Expert Office of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine has recommended to return this draft law for further elaboration. MPs Hryhorii Zabolotnyi (non-faction) and Kateryna Vashchuk (Party of Regions) have proposed (#3207) to include the production tanned leather without further processing to the list of agricultural goods and services. If included to such list, such production will be subject to the special taxation. Oleksandr Bobkov (Party of Regions) and Hennadii Zubko (AUU Batkivshchyna) have prepared a draft law #3259 regarding basic requirements for the issuance (denial), re-processing, duplicate issuance, cancellation and withdrawal of permission to transfer soil.
9 MPs of Ukraine (Andrii Parubii (AUU Batkivshchyna), Yaroslav Hinka (UDAR), Oleh Kanivets (non-faction) and others) have proposed to establish two-month term to take decisions on the provision of subsidies and subventions from the state budget to local budgets and their transfer to lower level administrations (#3268). According to MPs, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine got used to passing resolutions on subventions to local budgets in five-six months after the Law on the State Budget of Ukraine is adopted, what is quite a negative practice.
13 MPs of Ukraine (Oles Donii (non-faction), Yurii Blahodyr (Party of Regions), Volodymyr Lytvyn (non-faction deputy) and others) have proposed (#3199) to shorten the list of goods which are subject to preferential duties. Printing inks and components are also enlisted, as long as they are widely produced in Ukraine.
In the draft law #3157, Ivan Kyrylenko (AUU Batkivshchyna), Kateryna Vashchuk and Borys Deich (Party of Regions) wanted to specify basic terms of the wine production in the legislation ("table wine", "Ukrainian cognac"), and introduce some new concepts ("stave", "micro stave", "enrichment method", "enterprise using new technological cycle of production"). MPs are convinced that such specifications will assist to harmonization of Ukrainian legislation with the best world practices of regulation in this sphere.
Humanitarian issues
Yurii Miroshnychenko (the Party of Regions) and Liliia Hrynevych (AUU Batkivshchyna) have introduced a Draft Resolution of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on the Conduction of Parliamentary Hearings on the Topic: "Education, health care and social support for children with autism: problems and solutions." MPs have proposed to conduct these hearings on April 4, 2014 (#3314).
MPs of Ukraine Liliia Hrynevych (AUU Batkivshchyna), Serhii Tihipko, Yurii Miroshnychenko, Vasyl Khmelnytskyi (the Party of Regions), Viktor Baloha (non-faction), Rostyslav Pavlenko (UDAR), and Oleksandr Sych (AUU Svoboda) have initiated the draft resolution (#3254) on celebration of the 400th anniversary of the National University of Kyiv Mohyla Academy. The necessity to adopt this Resolution is explained by unsatisfactory execution of the President's Decree of June 25, 2008 #583/2008 on Celebration of the 400th Anniversary of the National University of Kyiv Mohyla Academy.
13 MPs of Ukraine (Oles Donii (non-faction deputy) Yurii Blahodyr (Party of Regions), Volodymyr Lytvyn (non-faction), Ihor Rybakov (non-faction), Viktor Tykhonov (Party of Regions), and other have registered a draft law #3198 which provides that in case of procurement of book printing services, the client shall set obligation to use printing inks of domestic production by performer.
Eight MPs of Ukraine (Hanna Herman (Party of Regions), Valerii Patskan (UDAR), Bohdan Beniuk (AUU Svoboda), Iryna Lutsenko (AUU Batkivshchyna), Vasyl Samoilenko (CPU)) have proposed to conduct on October 16, 2013 the Parliamentary hearings on the topic: "Securing equal rights and opportunities for men and women. Problems, and efficient ways of their solution."
Politics and state administration
Adam Martyniuk (CPU) and Serhii Hrynevetskyi (Party of Regions) have drafted amendments to some Laws of Ukraine which regulate activities of the Civil Protection Department and issues pertaining to the protection of state officials (#3309).
MPs Davyd Zhvaniia (Party of Regions), Volodymyr Bondarenko, and Ruslan Kniazevych (AUU Batkivshchyna) have registered the Draft Resolution of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine regarding the removal of the Draft Law on territorial organization of elections and referendums in Ukraine (#0863/П) from consideration.
Local self-governments
Valentyn Koroliuk, Valerii Kalchenko (AUU Batkivshchyna), Volodymyr Oliinyk, Oleh Paraskiv (the Party of Regions) have submitted the Law of Ukraine on the Regulation of Common Property of Territorial Communities (#3260) for consideration. According to MPs, this Law will regulate ways rayon and oblast councils can administer common property of territorial communities.
Health care and medicine
Borys Deich (Party of Regions), Serhii Sas (AUU Batkivshchyna), Yaroslav Dubnevych (UDAR), and Vasyl Pazyniak (AUU Batkivshchyna) have proposed in their draft law #3229 to use the funds gained from the state lotteries for the procurement of expensive equipment for cancer clinics.