The Committee of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on the Organization of State Power, Local Self-Government, Regional Development, and Urban Planning recommended adopting in the second reading and in its entirety the long-awaited draft law “On Amendments to Certain Laws of Ukraine to Expand the Powers of Local Self-Government Bodies to Support the Security and Defense Sector of Ukraine” (No. 9559-d).
This version of the document aligns with the vision of the All-Ukrainian Association of Communities regarding the issue of remote voting by local self-government bodies concerning land matters. Specifically, concerning the feasibility of including this issue in a separate draft law. Land matters, as a subject of remote council sessions, require more thorough consideration due to their contentious nature and the variability of participants in the legislative process.
It is proposed that the agenda of remote council sessions for territories temporarily occupied by the enemy should not include any land-related legal issues. For communities located in areas of potential military action, there is no need for separate regulation; they can address land-related legal matters on an urgent basis in remote mode, similar to budgetary matters.
However, for remote council sessions held in territories experiencing active hostilities, land-related legal issues regarding the provision and extension of the right to use communal land, except for cases of transferring communal land into use or ownership on a competitive basis, may be included in the agenda.
The All-Ukrainian Association of Communities believes that this should be the subject of a separate draft law since the support of the Armed Forces and the issue of “amnesty” for local self-government bodies that have provided assistance since the beginning of the war are the priorities of draft law No. 9559-d.