We would like to offer you a selection of key legislative changes related to the activities of civil society organizations. In the second half of the January issue, the Ukrainian Center for Independent Political Research has collected the main topics worth knowing about:
- The initiative to establish a National Council for Veteran Entrepreneurship.
- The recommendation to adopt a draft law on patronage in culture.
- The return for further revision of draft insurance laws for volunteers.
Read more about these changes and find out how they will affect the work of CSOs
A draft law to establish a National Council for Veteran Entrepreneurship has been registered
What the draft law is about: It is proposed to provide for the possibility for war veterans to exercise their right to self-organize the veteran entrepreneurship entities they have established into a self-governing organization, which is proposed to be defined as the National Council for Veteran Entrepreneurship, as a non-governmental, non-profit, self-governing organization with legal entity status that unites all veteran entrepreneurship entities, and to regulate its goals and objectives.
The National Council for Veteran Entrepreneurship is defined as a non-governmental, non-profit organization with legal entity status, whose members automatically include all veteran entrepreneurs from the moment they acquire the relevant status. The draft law sets out in detail the procedure for establishing the Council, its bodies, powers, sources of funding, and its relations with state and local government bodies. A wide range of tasks for the National Council is defined separately, including representing interests and providing consultations, participating in rule-making, monitoring compliance with the status, and organizing training and internships.
Why it is important: Introducing an institutional model for self-governance of veteran entrepreneurship creates a formal basis for representing the interests of veteran entrepreneurs and for their participation in shaping public policy in this area. This can contribute to better coordination between veteran businesses, state bodies, and international partners, as well as increase the visibility of veteran entrepreneurship as a separate area of economic policy. At the same time, the draft law contains several provisions that require further discussion with civil society and veteran initiatives. In particular, automatic and mandatory membership in a single self-governing organization, the significant role of the state in its creation, and the granting of control functions to the National Council may pose risks to freedom of association, institutional pluralism, and the autonomy of veteran and civil society organizations working in the field of supporting veteran entrepreneurship.
The draft law on patronage in the field of culture is recommended for adoption as a basis
What the draft law is about: The draft law introduces new terms for patronage activities. In particular, a patron is a natural or legal person under private law who engages in patronage activities in the field of culture. Such activities consist of the voluntary and gratuitous provision of material, financial, or other support to charitable, cultural, and educational institutions in the field of culture. In addition, a patron may support other legal entities whose founding documents provide for activities in the field of culture, or whose main activity is supporting cultural projects by offering grants to legal entities and individuals, as well as scholarships to individuals.
The draft also specifies the list of types of patronage assistance and forms of patronage activities. At the same time, it provides for state support to patrons, in particular in the form of awards and distinctions, assistance in perpetuating the name of the patron of culture on buildings, structures, and cultural facilities, as well as other forms of encouragement in accordance with the law.
Why it is important: Currently, patronage in the cultural sphere, its limits, and possible mechanisms for state incentives are not adequately regulated by law. The draft law establishes a regulatory framework for philanthropy, creating conditions for its development as a separate instrument of cultural support. It also expands the opportunities for civil society organizations working in the cultural sphere to attract private resources for the implementation of artistic initiatives.
At the same time, the draft law contains several provisions that require further discussion with the public sector. In particular, the introduction of a strictly formalized model of patronage, mandatory contracts with detailed control mechanisms, and a ban on intermediation may not fully account for the specifics of CSOs working with project and mixed financing.
Draft laws on compulsory state insurance of volunteers' life, health, and working capacity have been returned for further revision
These are draft laws 13515 and 13515-1, which were registered in the Verkhovna Rada this summer.
Draft law No. 13515 proposes to provide compulsory state insurance for the life, health, and working capacity of volunteers against accidents while providing volunteer assistance in the area of activities necessary to ensure the defense of Ukraine, protecting the security of the population and the interests of the state in connection with the military aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine and/or another country against Ukraine, hostilities, and armed conflicts. The insurance will be provided at the expense of the state budget, and the procedure and conditions for such insurance must be determined by the relevant central executive authority in agreement with the National Bank.
An alternative draft law also proposes to specify the types of financing sources for insurance and the body responsible for maintaining the register of insured volunteers.
Both draft laws were returned for further revision.
The digest was created by the NGO "Ukrainian Center for Independent Political Research" with the support of the "Askold & Dir" Fund, administered by ISAR Ednannia within the framework of the "Strong Civil Society of Ukraine – A Driver Towards Reforms and Democracy" project, funded by Norway and Sweden. The content of the publication is the sole responsibility of UCIPR and does not reflect the views of the governments of Norway, Sweden, or ISAR Ednannia.
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