You're reading: EU and UNDP launch project worth € 1.3 million to reform Verkhovna Rada

The European Union along with the United National Development Program (UNDP) have launched a project worth € 1.3 million to reform the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.

A new EU/UNDP project ‘Rada for Europe’ was presented with the participation of Verkhovna Rada Chairman Andriy Parubiy, Head of the EU Delegation to Ukraine Jan Tombinski, and UNDP Resident Representative in Ukraine Neal Walker.

“It is a very important project aimed at the support for the Verkhovna Rada, reform of the internal structure and the quality of lawmaking in Ukraine,” Tombinski said.

The EU ambassador added that the European Parliament’s Needs Assessment Mission developed a range of recommendations for reform implementation in the Ukrainian parliament. The project will be aimed at the improvement of quality of lawmaking by the parliament and control over implementation of the legislation.

The UNDP will implement the project in close cooperation with the European Parliament under an agreement on cooperation in the sphere of administration.

The key priorities of the project include the improvement of professional behavior of employees of the secretariat and staff of the Verkhovna Rada in order to provide the parliament and people’s deputies with effective services.

Tombinski added that local and international experts would be involved in the project implementation.

The project envisages the introduction of a new model of bill elaboration, restructuring and optimization of parliamentary committees’ work, simplification of the bill adoption procedure, expert support, assistance in the implementation of the Open Parliament plan and introduction of instruments to involve citizens in lawmaking.

The budget of the project is estimated at 1.3 million.