Supporting business and uniting diplomatic efforts: “EuroOptimists” present report and future plans

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In 2017, the inter-factional union “Eurooptimists” will submit 12 various draft laws in economy, tourism, taxation, defense, European integration, energy security and anti-monopoly legislation.

“All draft laws are initiated by members of the parliament (MPs) from “Eurooptimists” union. We will make every effort to have them adopted until the end of the next year,’ stated Olena Sotnyk, MP from “Samopomich” faction, member of the inter-factional union “EuroOptimists”, at a press briefing at Ukraine Crisis Media Center.

According to MP Ivan Krulko, compliance with the procedures remains the main problem in the Verkhovna Rada. “I hoped that after the Revolution of Dignity respect to the procedure will be the leading idea [in the work of the Parliament], but it did not happen. The procedures are respected only when there is will to do it. The practice of “button punching” remains,” he said.  According to Ms. Sotnyk, since November 2016 the “EuroOptimists” were submitting a list of procedural violations to the Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada and to the Procedural Committee after each Parliamentary meeting. If response does not follow, the MPs will take a legal action.

Ivan Krulko stressed that next year it is necessary to implement the law on the Accounting Chamber of Ukraine. “The competition finished one year ago and the winners are waiting to be appointed for their positions. Unfortunately, political ambitions and desire to see particular persons amongst managing officials are more important,” he said.

Other priorities include adopting law on youth policy that would ensure institutional capacity of the youth and their ability to influence decision-making. This law would create favorable conditions for youth to live and work in Ukraine.

MP Oleksiy Mushak as one of the priorities mentioned the law on electronic trust services – a revolutionary law that would launch a real e-market. Another priority is the law on land market.

According to MP Victoria Ptashnyk, the law on elimination of administrative barriers for exporting services is a victory in the field of support to businesses. “Freelancers, IT-specialists, designers and other professionals working for international customers were supposed to have already noticed the difference,” she noted. It is important to promote laws prohibiting seizure of companies’ servers, on currency exchange liberalization and on reform of corporate legislation.

MPs from “EuroOptimists” union represent various factions, however, they always speak in one voice on the international level, said Oleksiy Ryabchyn from “Batkivschyna” faction. “We are divided into coalition and opposition inside the country in order to communicate or criticize governmental decisions. Meanwhile, we have always spoken in one voice when representing Ukraine on the international level,” stressed the MP.