Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine

The Chair of the Committee on Ukraine’s Integration into the EU Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze met with the German delegation led by Klaus Holechek, the Chairman of the Christian Social Union faction in the Parliament of the Federal Land of Bavaria, and the Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Federal and European Affairs and Regional Relations, a member of the Bavarian Parliament, Gerhard Hopp.

The parties discussed the work of Ukrainian institutions in the conditions of war, European integration, interregional cooperation, as well as the upcoming elections to the European Parliament. Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze hopes that the new composition of the European Parliament will be able to demonstrate the same results as the Parliament of this convocation. “This composition of the European Parliament formed an agenda for many strategic issues. They, in particular, include enlargement of the European Union,” she said.

The Chair of the Committee thanked the German delegation for the visit to Ukraine and noted that not only cooperation with Germany at the state level but also at the regional level is important. “You represent different regions, and this has great potential for our states. The experience of not only European countries in general, but also individual European regions in the process of European integration is important for Ukraine. Regional cooperation also opens great investment opportunities,” said Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze. She also emphasised the importance of restoring decentralisation in Ukraine. According to her, decentralisation was one of the most successful reforms that added stability to Ukraine. “It was really helpful at the beginning of a full-scale invasion. People took more responsibility, not waiting for decisions to be made in the centre,” said the Chair of the Committee. She noted that decentralisation should be key during the recovery of Ukraine. According to the Chair of the Committee, Ukrainian communities should be involved in bilateral projects with European communities during the post-war recovery and this cooperation should be included in plans for the future reconstruction of Ukraine.

Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze reported that the draft law on updating approaches to cross-border cooperation is currently being considered by the Verkhovna Rada. The initiators of this document proposed that the decisions of municipalities in the field of international cooperation shall be controlled by the relevant ministry. This, according to the Chair of the Committee, contradicts the experience and practices of the EU. “Our Committee indicated this in its opinion, and colleagues are ready to introduce respective amendments. I hope that the profile committee will remove this controlling function of the ministry before the second reading and replace it with a more coordinating one. I hope that this will give an additional impetus to cross-border and interregional cooperation,” emphasised Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze.

Regarding European integration, the Chair of the Committee expressed hope that the European Council will approve the negotiation framework with Ukraine as soon as possible. “Obviously, this will happen after the EU elections, hopefully in June. I hope that Ukraine and the transformations that we have to make on the way to the EU will be under the close attention of the European Union,” said the Chair of the Committee.

Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze also insisted that the rights and freedoms which are currently restricted disproportionately to the requirements of martial law should be restored. “It is critical for us to restore the balance of power in Ukraine. Decentralisation is not the only area where we see negative developments. The Constitution stipulates that Ukraine is a parliamentary-presidential republic. However, since the full-scale invasion, the Government was present in the Parliament only twice to answer questions of the MPs. The situation must be changed,” the Chair of the Committee on Ukraine's EU Integration emphasised.