About Programme

In the period January 2010 – March 2013 the Council of Europe (CoE) Programme “Strengthening Local Democracy and Support for Local Government Reforms in Ukraine” was implemented by the Centre of Expertise for Local Government Reform, Directorate General Democracy – II of the CoE Secretariat General. It was sponsored by the Government of Sweden.

The strategic Programme goal was improvement of institutional and legal framework of local democracy in Ukraine, strengthening financial basis of local self-government and decentralisation of power in compliance with the European Charter of Local Self-Government, European standards and objectives of the CoE Action Plan for Ukraine for 2008-2011 and 2011-2014.

The Programme was designed to provide policy guidance, legal assistance and technical expertise to the Ukrainian authorities with the aim to promote local and regional democracy institutions, development of local self-government and more effective provision of services to the benefit of Ukrainian citizens.

The Programme expected results:

1. Structural local self-government reform is designed and integrated into a wider public administration reform process. Division of roles and responsibilities between local governments and local state administrations are clarified and streamlined.
2. Local finance system and inter-budgetary relations are enhanced to reduce vertical and horizontal imbalances, local self-government budget autonomy is strengthened, budget management improved.
3. The State Programme for Reform and Development of the Housing and Municipal Economy is enhanced, inter-municipal co-operation is encouraged.
4.  Public and stakeholders’ awareness of the local self-government reform issues is strengthened.

In the framework of the Programme activities 26 CoE expert appraisals/recommendations on developing new national legislation or improving the one in force.

International and local CoE experts took an active part in activities of working groups under the Parliamentary Committee on State Building and Local Self-Government, Ministry of Regional Development, Construction and Municipal Economy, Ministry of Finance and other state authorities.

The follow-up to the Programme “Strengthening Local Democracy and Support for Local Government Reforms in Ukraine” and co-operation between the CoE and Ukraine in the area of policy guidance, legal assistance and technical expertise on local and regional democracy since April 2013 is ensured in the framework of the component “Legal Support to the Local Self-Government Reform in Ukraine” merged into the Programme “Strengthening the capacity of local authorities in Ukraine” with the financial support of the Government of the Swiss Confederation.