Whereas:
• the historical simultaneous ratification of the
EU-Ukraine Association Agreement by the European Parliament and the Verkhovna
Rada of Ukraine on 16 September 2014 clearly demonstrated the European
perspective for Ukraine and the engagement and commitment of both parties to
develop a strong inter-parliamentary relationship;
• the EU-Ukraine
Parliamentary Association Committee, meeting for the first time in Brussels on
24-25 February 2015, re-confirmed the mutual intention to support Ukraine's
swift and full implementation of its comprehensive EU-oriented reforms;
• President of the European Parliament Martin Schulz
and Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Volodymyr Groysman at their
meeting in Brussels on 24 February 2015 agreed to launch a comprehensive
parliamentary support programme for Ukraine;
• the European Parliament's Democracy Support and
Election Coordination Group decision – based on the proposal of the European
Parliament election observation delegation to the October 2014 parliamentary
elections – to consider Ukraine as a priority country for parliamentary
capacity-building and dialogue-facilitation activities further demonstrated the
commitment to establish long-term and fruitful partnership with the Verkhovna
Rada of Ukraine. The parties agree as follows:
I. PURPOSE
The purpose of this Memorandum of Understanding
("MOU") is to establish a joint framework for parliamentary support
and capacity-building of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. Parliamentary support
activities will be in line with Ukraine's national reform agenda and
development programmes, with the priorities of the Association Agreement
between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community and their
member states, of the one part, and Ukraine, of the other part, will be
coherent and complementary to the overall EU efforts, as coordinated by the
European Commission's Support Group for Ukraine, to consolidate democracy and
the rule of law in Ukraine.
II. GOALS AND OBJECTIVES The parties to this MOU have
agreed to work towards:
• ensuring efficient implementation of the
constitutional roles of law-making, oversight and representation by the
Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine,
• increasing the quality of Ukrainian parliamentarism;
• increasing the transparency, predictability,
efficiency and openness of the proceedings of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine,
• implementation of the EU-Ukraine Association
Agreement. In pursuing these goals, the parties will focus on:
• improving the quality of legislation and of the
legislative process in Ukraine, • strengthening the capacities of parliamentary
committees, including through the best European practices of their work
planning and organization, as well as policy analysis support in view of
achieving legal harmonization with EU acquis,
• reviewing the Rules of Procedure and other
instruments guiding the internal organisation of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine,
as well as assisting in the elaboration of the Code of Conduct for
parliamentarians;
• improving the efficiency of interaction between the
majority and the opposition, between the political factions as well as between
the committees of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine,
• enhancing the staff potential and transforming the
Verkhovna Rada Secretariat into a modern service-oriented body,
• enhancing communication and facilitating
co-operation of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine with the public, civil society,
media and other stakeholders.
III. SCOPE AND ACTIVITIES
The scope of the parliamentary support and capacity
building programme will be set out during a 3- month Needs Assessment Mission,
led by a senior political figure with long-standing parliamentary experience,
concluding with a "Report and Roadmap on Internal Reform and
Capacity-Building for the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine". The Needs Assessment
Mission will enjoy the support of both institutions and full access to activities
and documents of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, to the extent necessary for
proper implementation of this Memorandum. The "Report" will be
presented at a joint high-level event in the European Parliament (the
"Ukraine week"), bringing together the European Parliament, the
Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, the national parliaments of EU Member States, as
well as representatives from the other EU Institutions, international
organisations and civil society. The recommendations of the "Report"
will be implemented under the political guidance of the President of the
European Parliament and the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and
responsibility of the Co-Chairs of the EU-Ukraine Parliamentary Association
Committee, who were also mandated to oversee and coordinate the parliamentary
support and capacity-building activities. The activities will be carried out in
cooperation with all other relevant EU institutions and the national
parliaments of the EU Member States. Support activities could include inter
alia:
• study visits of the Ukrainian MPs to the European
Parliament;
• training for the staff of the Verkhovna Rada
Secretariat;
• exchanges of best practices between members of
parliaments and staff;
• parliamentary conferences, seminars and roundtables
in Kyiv or in Brussels/Strasbourg;
• necessary technical assistance, parliamentary
support and other types of capacity-building measures; • enhancing cooperation
at the level of the relevant Committees of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and
the European Parliament.
IV. DURATION
The duration of this MOU will be 18 months from the
date of signature by both parties, and may be renewed upon mutual consent. Done
in Kyiv on 3 July 2015 in two copies in English and Ukrainian, both texts are
equally authentic. In the event of a discrepancy the English version shall
prevail.
Martin SCHULZ Volodymyr GROYSMAN
President of the European Parliament Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine
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