Question 1

What documents must be submitted to the VRU alongside a draft law?

Accepted Answer

Together with the text of the draft law, the sponsor of the legislative initiative must attach: an Explanatory Memorandum (justifying the necessity of the law); a Comparative Table (if the bill amends existing legislation); a Draft Resolution of the Verkhovna Rada to adopt the bill at its first reading ("as a basis"); a Financial and Economic Justification along with relevant budget calculations (if implementation incurs state or municipal expenditures); an EU Acquis Compliance Table (assessing alignment with European Union legal instruments).

Question 2

What is an Explanatory Memorandum and what are its content requirements?

Accepted Answer

An Explanatory Memorandum is a supporting document that articulates the core concept of a bill. Under the Rules of Procedure of the VRU, it must include: the justification for the act and its specific objectives; a general overview and summary of the bill's core provisions; the current status of the regulatory framework in that specific area; a financial and economic justification; a forecast of the socio-economic and other impacts following enactment.

Question 3

How does a Comparative Table differ from an Explanatory Memorandum?

Accepted Answer

An Explanatory Memorandum explains why and for what purpose a law is being enacted (it is an argumentative, narrative text). A Comparative Table visually demonstrates what exactly is changing. It is formatted in two parallel columns: the left column displays the current text of the law, while the right column shows the proposed changes (with new wording highlighted or deleted text struck through). A comparative table is required exclusively when a bill amends existing statutes.

Question 4

What is a Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) and when is it mandatory?

Accepted Answer

A Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) is a document in which the drafter justifies the commercial necessity of introducing new rules for businesses, calculates compliance costs for enterprises, and proves that the selected regulatory path is the most efficient. An RIA is compulsory for any draft regulatory instrument that exhibits the traits of a regulatory act (i.e., any rule that establishes, modifies, or repeals legal norms governing economic or administrative relations between state authorities and businesses).

Question 5

How does the three-reading legislative procedure work in the Verkhovna Rada?

Accepted Answer

The consideration of a bill typically undergoes three distinct stages. First Reading: debate on the core principles, merits, and philosophy of the bill; concludes with a vote to pass the bill "as a basis". Second Reading: a clause-by-clause (article-by-article) review incorporating all amendments submitted by MPs; concludes with a vote to pass the bill "in its entirety". Third Reading: invoked only if necessary (e.g., if fundamental structural changes were introduced during the second reading); involves final text reconciliation and a definitive vote on the law.

Question 6

What is the difference between drafting a Law and drafting a CMU Resolution?

Accepted Answer

A Law possesses supreme legal force (under the Constitution), is enacted exclusively by Parliament (the VRU), and regulates primary social and economic relations. The drafting process is strictly codified, requiring committee reviews and plenary debates. A CMU Resolution is a piece of subordinate legislation (secondary regulation). It is drafted by ministries or executive agencies to operationalize, execute, or implement existing statutes. Its drafting and adoption are governed by the Rules of Procedure of the CMU and follow a significantly faster timeline, as decisions are made collectively during Cabinet sessions.

Question 7

How do you properly clear a draft CMU act with all ministries?

Accepted Answer

The clearance procedure is regulated by the Government and managed via electronic document management systems: 1) the lead drafting agency distributes the draft act along with an explanatory memorandum to all interested ministries and stakeholders; 2) ministries are legally required to review the text within a set timeframe and issue their opinion: either "without objections" or "with objections" (formal legal opinion); 3) if material disputes arise, the lead drafter must initiate reconciliation procedures (working groups, inter-departmental consultations); 4) the final step requires submitting the reconciled draft to the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine for formal legal-technical scrutiny.

Question 8

What is the EU acquis and how is a draft regulation checked for compliance?

Accepted Answer

The EU acquis (acquis communautaire) is the accumulated body of legal acts, standards, judicial decisions, and treaties of the European Union, binding upon member states and candidate countries (such as Ukraine). The drafter conducts a comparative analysis of the domestic draft against relevant EU Directives or Regulations, documented in a specialized Compliance Table. The definitive, official compliance review is executed by the Government Office for Coordination of European and Euro-Atlantic Integration and the relevant VRU Committee.

Question 9

How do you adapt an EU Directive or Regulation into Ukrainian legislation?

Accepted Answer

The transposition method depends on the nature of the EU legal instrument. An EU Regulation has direct applicability within the EU; however, in Ukraine, its norms are typically "transposed" — meaning they are incorporated directly and almost verbatim into the text of a Ukrainian law or resolution. An EU Directive sets out a mandatory objective that must be achieved, leaving the choice of forms and methods to national authorities. To adapt it, a national legal act is drafted to align European objectives with the realities of the Ukrainian legal and institutional framework.

Question 10

Can businesses directly influence the legislative process?

Accepted Answer

Yes, through legal and transparent channels. Corporate entities can engage with the process via: participating in public stakeholder consultations and digital notice-and-comment periods, which authorities are legally mandated to conduct during the drafting phase; submitting formal comments and structured feedback on draft regulatory acts (within the RIA framework); operating via specialized trade and business associations, public advisory councils attached to ministries, or through the framework of statutory lobbying.

Question 11

What is lobbying and is it lawful in Ukraine?

Accepted Answer

Lobbying is a legal, regulated, and transparent activity aimed at influencing public authorities to adopt or reject specific legislative or regulatory acts on behalf of a client. In Ukraine, lobbying is completely lawful and regulated by the Law of Ukraine "On Lobbying". Individuals and entities engaged in lobbying are legally required to register in the Transparency Register, operate strictly under formal contracts, and officially report their contacts with public officials, thereby eliminating corrupt practices.

Question 12

How do you prepare a Position Paper for a VRU Committee?

Accepted Answer

A Position Paper is a concise document detailing your company's or association's stance on a specific piece of pending legislation. It must state the bill's number and official title, a clearly declared position ("support", "support with amendments", or "strongly oppose"), a brief summary of economic or industry risks if enacted, and precise textual amendments (proposals) to the relevant statutory provisions. The text must be highly focused and objective, avoiding rhetorical prose.

Question 13

What legislative/regulatory powers do local governments possess?

Accepted Answer

Local government authorities (councils, executive committees) possess delegated authority to enact local regulatory instruments and ordinances that are legally binding within their territorial jurisdiction. Key areas of competence include approving local budgets, setting municipal taxes and fees (within boundaries set by the Tax Code), establishing municipal zoning and public order rules, managing local land relations, and administering communal property.

Question 14

How do you secure state registration for a departmental regulation at the Ministry of Justice?

Accepted Answer

Regulatory acts issued by ministries and other central executive bodies that affect the constitutional rights and freedoms of citizens, or possess an inter-departmental nature, must undergo state registration. The drafting authority submits the original act to the Ministry of Justice, accompanied by the explanatory memorandum, clearance materials, and a formal legal opinion. The Ministry reviews the instrument within a prescribed timeframe to ensure compliance with the Constitution and laws of Ukraine. Upon approval, the act is entered into the Unified State Register of Regulatory Acts, allowing it to be officially published and enter into force.

Question 15

What is the difference between a Law, a Resolution, and Subordinate Legislation?

Accepted Answer

A Law is a statutory act of supreme legal force (subordinate only to the Constitution), enacted exclusively by Parliament (the VRU) to establish fundamental legal norms for the state. Subordinate Legislation (Secondary Regulation) is a collective term for all regulatory instruments (resolutions, decrees, orders, directives) enacted by other executive authorities (the President, the CMU, ministries) on the basis of and in execution of statutory laws; they cannot contradict primary legislation. A Resolution (Postanova) is a specific type of secondary legislation enacted by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine (or by the VRU on internal organizational matters) that carries legally binding force for all executive bodies, corporate entities, and citizens nationwide.

Question 16

What occurs during the initial consultation and what documents should I bring?

Accepted Answer

The initial consultation consists of an in-depth legal and strategic assessment of your matter. We analyze the facts, audit your existing documentation, evaluate regulatory risks, map out the applicable regulatory environment, and formulate a step-by-step statutory or defense strategy. What to bring: personal identification (passport, tax ID) or corporate governance/incorporation documents (if representing a legal entity); the complete dossier of documents relevant to the matter (draft acts, official correspondence, written rejections from state agencies, prior expert opinions, etc.); a written brief, specification, or chronological summary of the issue — this substantially expedites the assessment, allowing counsel to immediately focus on actionable legal remedies.

Service	Price
Initial Oral Consultation	Free
Express Analysis of an effective regulation or draft bill	From $45
Written Legal Opinion / Formal Advice	From $55
Legal-technical vetting of a draft regulation	From $110
Anti-corruption or gender-legal vetting of a regulation	From $85
Drafting of an Explanatory Memorandum to a bill	From $110
Drafting of a Comparative Table to a bill	From $85
Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) execution	From $140
Drafting of an EU Law (acquis) Compliance Opinion	From $140
Comparative Legal Analysis (EU, USA, and other jurisdictions)	From $195
Transposition/Adaptation of an EU Directive into Ukrainian law	From $275
Drafting of secondary legislation (Departmental Order, Agency Resolution)	From $275
Drafting of a CMU Resolution or Directive	From $415
Full-cycle drafting of a Law of Ukraine	From $695
Preparation of a Position Paper or analytical package for a VRU Committee	From $220
Advocacy and guidance of a bill through VRU Committees	From $415
Comprehensive "Turnkey" Project (Drafting + Documentation + Advocacy)	By Agreement

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