From June, 19 to 21, 109 votes were taken in the Verkhovna Rada (including three signaling votes). MPs voted 38 times on June, 19; 24 times on June, 20; and 47 times on June, 21. The average attendance of MPs was 85%, which is a few percent less than in May. In addition, the attendance at the meeting on June, 19, was almost 4% better than on June, 21 (370 MPs were present against 353). It should also be mentioned that all 27 MPs missed the vote.
In general, MPs voted “in favour” in 51.7% of cases; in 15% — they “abstained,” in 0.8% — they voted “against.” In 13% of cases, they did not vote at all. Besides, the absenteeism rate was 12.5%.
In total, the adopted initiatives received from 234 to 316 votes in favor. The highest number of votes went for the Resolution on the Address of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine to the EU Member States and the Institutions of the European Union concerning support for granting Ukraine the candidate status for accession to the EU (No. 7471).
Summary for June, 19
On this day, MPs adopted 15 draft laws and 3 resolutions, and 2 more draft laws in the first reading.
Address of the Verkhovna Rada to Parliaments and Governments to Support Ukraine's Aspiration to Recognize its European Prospects (No. 7471)
On June, 23–24, 2022, a meeting of the EuropeanCouncil will be held. They are to decide whether to grant Ukraine the candidate status for accession to the EU. On the eve of June, 17, the European Commission announced its decision to recommend granting Ukraine the status of a candidate for EU membership. Ukraine also enlisted the support of several countries (Denmark, the Netherlands, France, Germany) that are considered to be sceptical about Ukraine's European integration prospects.
Address to the Governments and Parliaments of Foreign States Regarding the Termination of Treaties with the RF on the Avoidance of Double Taxation (No.7430)
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine called on the governments and parliaments of the world to review the international tax policy on the rf and to initiate the procedures necessary to terminate the relevant treaties on avoidance of double taxation.
If this regulation comes into effect, russian export goods will travel significantly on international markets and will be less competitive.
Address on Condemnation of Actions of the rf Aimed at Abduction and Forcible Removal of Ukrainian Children (No.7450)
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine appealed to the UN Human Rights Committee, the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, the UN International Court of Justice in The Hague, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees to urgently take decisive steps to protect children who are citizens of Ukraine, in order to achieve the following:
- inadmissibility of transferring children who are citizens of Ukraine, abducted and forcibly removed to the aggressor state, other countries, or within the occupied territories of Ukraine, for adoption in the family of russian citizens;
- return of children who are citizens of Ukraine, abducted and forcibly removed to the aggressor state, other countries or within the occupied territories of Ukraine, to the territory controlled by Ukraine.
Ratification of Agreement No.1 in the form of an exchange of letters between Ukraine and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland amending the Agreement on Political Cooperation, Free Trade and Strategic Partnership between Ukraine and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (No.0155)
The agreement provides for the lifting of customs duty on all goods coming from Ukraine to the United Kingdom for a period of 12 months.
The Verkhovna Rada has also adopted a number of legislative initiatives (No.0149, No.0093, No.0103, No.0141, No.0147) aimed at securing Ukraine's withdrawal from the agreements with CIS and russian federation.
Amendments to the Law of Ukraine "On the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation" (No.7417)
According to the explanatory note, since the beginning of the war, the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation has had expenditures cut by 90% in 2022. The law aimes at providing financial support for the operations of the Foundation during the period of martial law and at preventing the dismissal of employees.
Amendments to the Tax Code on the Peculiarities of Imposition of Military Levy on the Financial Support for Members of the Military and Other Persons Directly Involved in Hostilities, Under Martial Law (No.7432)
Temporarily, for the period of martial law, the law cancels the military fee for servicemen for the period of their participation in ensuring national security and defense, cutting off and restraining the russian federation's armed aggression.
Now, the military fee is 1.5% but the Parliament has registered a draft law (No.7311-d) proposing to raise it to 3%, for the period of martial law.
Amendments to a Series of Laws on the Establishment of Restrictions on the Imports and Distribution of Publishing Products Relating to the Aggressor State, the Republic of Belarus, and the Temporarily Occupied Territory of Ukraine (No.7459).
Amendments to the legislation prohibit the imports and distribution in Ukraine of publishing products from the russian federation, belarus, and the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. Previously issued permits for the imports and distribution of such products will be canceled.
However, the restriction does not apply to publishing products imported by individuals other than for the distribution, provided that the following requirements are met:
- import is carried in hand luggage or accompanied luggage;
- the total number of publishing products does not exceed 10 copies;
- products are not included in the Register of Publishing Products of Anti-Ukraine Content.
The law also prohibits the publication, imports, distribution in Ukraine of book publications containing works of authors who are citizens ofthe russian federation. This prohibition will not apply to books published in Ukraine until January, 1, 2023.
Amendments to some laws of Ukraine on the support of the national music products and the restriction of the public use of the music products of the aggressor state (No.7273-d)
This law prohibits public performance, public display, public demonstration, public notification of phonograms, videograms, and music videos of performers of the aggressor country. However, a separate list of russian performers who condemned the military invasion of Ukraine will be drawn up later.
The law increases to 40% the mandatory share of the state language in radio broadcasting, and to 75% of the daily volume of television and radio broadcasting.
Amendments to a Series of Laws on Improving the Functioning System and Appealing Against the Public Procurement (No.7328)
The law postpones the digitalization of complaints in public procurement. This can now be done 6 months after the end of the legal regime of martial law.
Amendments to the Law of Ukraine “On Professional (Vocational) Education” Regarding Certain Aspects of the Training of Skilled Workers in the context of Martial Law and Economic Recovery (No.7293).
The Law aims to improve the functioning of the system of vocational education in martial law, including:
- to allow to obtain vocational (vocational and technical) education without parallel acquisition of a complete general secondary education, which can be obtained free of charge at any other time during life under any form of education;
- to allow free acquisition of vocational (vocational and technical) education in another (other) occupation(s) as a life-long learning, but not earlier than three years after the completion of free acquisition of vocational (vocational and technical) education in a previously acquired occupation(s).
Amendments to Certain Laws on Stimulating the Development of Ukrainian Book Publishing and Book Distribution (No.6287)
The explanatory note says that the book market in Ukraine is very small as for the 40 million country. Whereas a German citizen buys an average of 5.5 books per year, a Pole — 2.5, in Ukraine, this number was only 0.57 books before the COVID-19 pandemic. After that, it decreased even more. Two-thirds of books in Ukraine have been printed in the russian language, and most of them are published by russia-related companies.
The situation with the number of bookstores is not too much better, either. Only about 200 bookstores remained for over a 40 million country (to compare, in 1991, there were 3,600 bookstores in Ukraine, now, France (comparable to Ukraine in terms of population) has 3,300 bookstores).
In view of this, the law provides that publishing entities that will meet certain requirements (in particular, those that will sell books in the Ukrainian language and/or EU languages and languages of indigenous peoples of Ukraine using registry devices for payment transactions in bookstores), will receive a guaranteed right to a state subsidy to reimburse qualification costs for the lease of premises. The amount of the subsidy may not exceed the cost of the lease, nor may it exceed 20% of the amount of income received from the sale of books in the bookstore. The draft law also establishes restrictions on the area and cost of a square meter of lease with a gradation in accordance with the population of the community where the bookstore is located. In the first years, such expenditures will cost the national budget from 52 to 86 million hryvnias.
This subsidy will be provided quarterly, starting from the first quarter of 2023.
The law also provides for the issuance of free children's book certificates after the birth of children and when they reach the age of 14. For this purpose, 470–480 million hryvnias are planned to be allocated from the budget, annually.
Certificates will be issued from January, 1, 2023.
Amendments to Article 52 of the Law of Ukraine "On Pension Provision for Persons Released from Military Service and Certain Other Persons" to Improve the Procedure for Payment of Pensions (No.7337)
The law eliminates discrimination against recipients of pensions, such as pensioners from among members of the fixed-term military and their family members, and other persons entitled to pensions, in choosing the banking institutions through which pensions are paid. Previously, only Oschadbank was authorized to do this.
Amendments to certain laws of Ukraine in the field of education on the regulation of certain issues of educational activities under the martial law (No.7325)
The law grants the Cabinet of Ministers the right to determine the duration of the academic year for the period of martial law. Before that, the academic year should have been at least 175 days.
Besides that, in the first reading, the Parliament has approved draft laws No.7310 and No.7398. The first involves simplifying the establishment of the facts of the birth and death of persons under martial law. The second bill requires developers to design and build bomb shelters in each new building.
Summary for June, 20
On this day, MPs have adopted the total of 4 bills.
The Law on the Principles of the State Anti-Corruption Policy for 2021-2025 (No.4135)
The purpose of the Anti-Corruption Strategy is to achieve significant progress in preventing and combating corruption, as well as to ensure the coherence and consistency of anti-corruption activities of all public authorities and local governments.
The document establishes the following principles of anti-corruption policy for 2021–2025:
- optimization of the public administration and local self-government functions, including: elimination of overlapping powers of various agencies; temporary suspension of exercise of low-efficiency powers with high corruption risks; elimination of cases when the same agency exercises powers which combination creates an additional corruption risk;
- digital transformation of the exercise of powers by public authorities and local self-government, transparency and disclosure of data as a basis for minimizing corruption risks in their activities;
- in contrast to existing corrupt practices, creation of more convenient and legal ways to meet the needs of individuals and legal entities;
- ensuring inescapable legal liability for corruption and corruption-related violations, which creates an additional deterrent effect for all subjects of legal relations;
- formation of social intolerance to corruption, establishing the culture of integrity and respect for the rule of law;
The strategy is aimed at eradicating corruption in the following areas: customs and taxation, courts and law enforcement agencies, state regulation of the economy, construction and land relations, the defense sector, health care and social protection.
Ratification of the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (No.0157)
The Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (Istanbul Convention) is an international instrument that legally binds to create a legal framework to combat various types of violence against women, including domestic violence.
Waste Management Act (No.2207-1-d)
According to the Ministry of Environment, the Law will allow:
- to close old landfills, and bring the others to European standards,
- to build a modern waste-processing infrastructure,
- to establish the “polluter pays” principle,
- to implement extended manufacturer responsibility.
Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts Concerning the Conservation of Forests (No.5650)
The law introduces an economic incentive tool for afforestation, which provides for reimbursement of expenses to forest owners and forest users during the creation of forests. It simplifies the procedures for registering self-forested sites and removes restrictions on granting ownership of sites for forestry.
It is envisaged that the state will be able to reserve and redeem valuable territories for their preservation for public needs — the creation of territories and objects of the nature reserve fund and forestry.
Summary for June, 21
On this day, the total of 3 draft laws were adopted, and 5 draft laws were adopted in the first reading.
Amendments to the Tax Code of Ukraine and other legislative acts of Ukraine on the revision of certain tax benefits (No.7418)
The law provides for the refund of customs duty and VAT on imported goods and the customs clearance of cars (from July, 1).
The law restores the previously lifted taxation:
- for goods imported by single tax payers of the first, second, and third groups;
- for enterprises that do not pay the imports duty;
- for vehicles imported by citizens.
In addition, the Parliament adopted laws No.5688 and No.5689, in whole, which introduce tax incentives for industrial parks.
In the first reading, draft laws No.7451, No.7420, No.7427, No.7428-2, and No.7429. The No.7451 aimes at facilitating the processes of relocation of enterprises under martial law for the economic recovery of the state.
The No.7420 provides for accession to the NCTS (New Computerized Transit System) regime of joint transit and further harmonization of the Customs Code of Ukraine with the EU Customs Code.
Draft laws No.7427, No.7428-2, No.7429 provide for a moratorium on raising tariffs for heating, hot water and gas supply for the population, by attracting more than UAH 180 billion from international partners to cover the tariff difference.