Wednesday, March 2, 2016

"Ukraine Week" opens new era of EP-Verkhovna Rada cooperation, says lead MEP

The EP-Verkhovna Rada high-level conference opened a new era of cooperation between the two parliaments, said lead MEP on capacity-building for the Ukrainian Parliament, Andrej Plenković (EPP, HR) at the close of the event on Wednesday. "We agreed to jointly implement the recommendations of the report of the Needs Assessment Mission and allocate adequate funds for the organisation of the follow up with our Ukrainian partners", he added.

The 3-day conference brought together MEPs, EU MPs and Ukrainian MPs to share experience on good parliamentary practice, lawmaking and representation.


It has been "an unprecedented exercise of close cooperation and in-depth joint reflection and exchange of experience between the European Parliament and the Verkhovna Rada", said Mr Plenković. He presented the conclusions of the "Ukraine Week", listing key suggestions to improve the quality of the legislative process in Ukraine’s Parliament, its efficiency and its transparency in managing European affairs.

"It is clear that colleagues from Verkhovna Rada have taken ownership of the capacity-building process and we look forward to defining a roadmap of concrete activities", he added.

"We have opened up to Europe not only our doors, but also our hearts. We hope to work as a team and to conduct the necessary changes in order to make Ukrainian institutions strong, professional and able to take the needed decisions", stressed Verkhovna Rada Chairman Volodymyr Groysman.

Reforms "will only work if people embrace them from within", said former European Parliament President Pat Cox, declaring his readiness to assist further during the implementation phase.

During the closing of the conference the EP and VRU general secretariats signed an "Administrative cooperation agreement", a first ever this kind of agreement European Parliament has signed with other parliament.

Before the closing of the event the Bureau of the EU-Ukraine Parliamentary Association Committee issued a joint statement.



No comments:

Post a Comment