The European Parliament has recently published a new Report and Roadmap on internal reform and capacity-building for the Ukrainian Parliament (Verkhovna Rada). The report arises from the European Parliament’s Needs Assessment Mission to the Verkhovna Rada between September 2015 and February 2016, which was led by IIEA Senior Fellow, Pat Cox.
The aim of the Needs Assessment Mission was to work with the EP’s parliamentary counterparts in Ukraine and to define specific areas in which to strengthen the Verkhovna Rada as an effective democratic institution. The focus of the Report was to identify fundamental issues that can effect overall change in institutional effectiveness and accountability in the Verkhovna Rada. According to Mr. Cox:
This ‘Needs Assessment Mission’ is proof of the deep engagement and mutual respect between the European Parliament and the Verkhovna Rada. It is a milestone on a longer journey whose destination can be reached only through implementation and a real and deep commitment to change. As it began in partnership, so ideally it should continue, together with the many international players and institutions whose goodwill towards Ukraine, its parliament and people was manifested in their close engagement with our work, for which we are deeply grateful.
The publication of the report coincided with Ukraine Week in the European Parliament, which took place between 29 February and 2 March, and was jointly organised by the European Parliament and the Verkhovna Rada. This dedicated week of events followed on from the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the EP and the Verkhovna Rada in July 2015 and brought together MEPs, European MPs and Ukrainian MPs to share experience on good parliamentary practice, lawmaking and representation.
Attendees during Ukraine Week were addressed by Martin Schulz, President of the European Parliament; Volodymyr Groysman, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine; Pat Cox, President of the European Parliament 2002-2004 and IIEA Senior Fellow; Johannes Hahn, EU Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations; Elmar Brok, Chair of the EP Foreign Affairs Committee and Andrej Plenkovi?, Lead member on the EP parliamentary support and capacity-building programme for the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and Chair of the EP delegation to the EU- Ukraine Parliamentary Association Committee.
A copy of the Reform Report is available to download here.
