Administrative-territorial reform as a precondition for effective decentralization of powers in Ukraine: adaptation to the European standards.

Abstract

Purpose – analysis of the current state of administrative and territorial structure of Ukraine and the problems that it generates; justifying necessity of full administrative-territorial reforms in the country in line with EU standards. Design/methodology/approach – conclusions about the present problems of administrative-territorial device are done on the basis of legal acts analysis, which regulate the issues of powers of public power local organs in Ukraine, and also practices of their application. Therefore the important constituent of a source base of the work are administrative acts of the corresponding organs which operate on territory of the Transcarpathia area. The determination of directions of administrative-territorial device of Ukraine improvement is carried out using the comparative legal analysis of analogical reforms which were conducted in the countries of Eastern Europe. Findings – the administrative-territorial device reforms in Ukraine as constituent of the general administrative reform should precede the structural reform of state and local governments and implemented in accordance with the general EU standards. Research limitations/implications – research was limited by the analysis of the Ukrainian legislation and practice of its application, analysis of Eastern Europe experience in the reforms implementation, and also by the analysis of unified classification of territorial units in statistical reporting system of the European Union: the Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics; Practical implications – research results can be used in the conceptions and strategies of improvement of administrative-territorial device of Ukraine. They can also be used for forming and planning of normative acts which regulate a certain question. Originality/Value – research contains original author ideas, grounds, conclusions and suggestions, on the basis of the analyzed empiric material;