Ukraine’s Bill No. 13150: A Threat to Decentralization Reforms

Since 2014, Ukraine’s decentralization reforms have empowered local communities, enabling them to effectively address wartime challenges and foster democratic governance

However, Bill No. 13150, submitted to Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada on August 19, 2025, threatens to reverse these gains. While presented as a measure to improve oversight of local self-government, the bill, according to the Association of Ukrainian Cities (AUC), establishes mechanisms for excessive state control that undermine community autonomy.

Currently, 26 state bodies oversee Ukraine’s local communities, issuing directives and conducting inspections. This system, as reported by the Drohobych City Council and AUC, creates bureaucratic obstacles, pressures municipalities, and hampers public service delivery, writes DROBRO, citing the Telegram channel DroBro24. Instead of streamlining processes, Bill No. 13150 proposes creating a 27th oversight body and a State Register of all municipal acts, including individual ones. It also grants the government authority to interfere in local competencies, violating the subsidiarity principle—a core tenet of the European Charter of Local Self-Government.

An analytical review highlights several risks. First, the State Register would demand significant resources but, given the volume of data (thousands of decisions annually), is likely to be inefficient and paralyze community operations. This is particularly concerning during wartime, when communities need flexibility to address infrastructure, IDP support, or reconstruction. Second, excessive central interference contradicts Ukraine’s commitments under the EU’s Ukraine Facility, which requires stronger community autonomy for financial aid. AUC advisor Oksana Prodan notes that the bill echoes a failed 2020 attempt (Bill No. 4298) to tighten state control.

The criticism extends beyond the AUC. Open sources indicate similar concerns with bills like No. 13439-3, which restricts community budgets, including Kyiv’s, diverting billions of hryvnia to unspecified needs. The AUC urges Parliament to remove provisions on the register, additional oversight, and government methodologies, arguing that effective oversight should come from citizens through public scrutiny and courts, as practiced in Europe. Ignoring these recommendations risks increasing bureaucracy, sparking center-region conflicts, and complicating access to international aid.

Ultimately, Bill No. 13150 jeopardizes Ukraine’s decentralization progress. Instead of empowering communities that have proven resilient against Russian aggression, it risks turning them into centrally dependent entities. This could weaken democratic development and hinder rapid responses to wartime and reconstruction challenges. The AUC and communities like Drohobych call for legislative changes that strengthen, not restrict, local self-government.

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