The respectful Decree No. 77of the Head of Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine as of 29 January 2015, was publishedon the official web-site of Verkhovna Rada. The document foresees openness ofinformation on MPs’ and Parliament’s Committees’ activity.

Thus, data, pointed out inMP’s declarations of property as well as list of their assistant-consultantshave to be published on personal MP’s web-pages and on the official web-site ofVerkhovna Rada. Except that the legal status of MP’s assistant-consultants hasto be stated (either they work according to the fix-term employment contract onthe permanent basis or part-time, or on voluntary basis).

According to the DecreeParliament’s Committees will also become more open. As early as in 2013 MediaLaw Institute achieved provision of Committees sessions’ minutes as requestsfulfilment through initiation of court proceedings. This information will beopen for acquaintance with in any time from now on. Drafts of schedules ofCommittee’s meetings and amendment to them, minutes, stenograph, audio recordof Committees’ meetings as well as Committee’s hearings, adopted acts have tobe published obligatory and systematically.

It is interesting that up tothis time, Apparatus of Verkhovna Rada unwillingly opened access to informationon MPs referring to its confidentiality. There was the only one case whenpublishing of data from declarations of almost all MPs was achieved after a ositivecourt decision in the case of Oksana Kovalenko that was supported by Media LawInstitute. At the same time, the court appeal on provision of the list of MPs’assistants as a response for the request of Iryna Solomko is still not finished(Apparatus of Verkhovna Rada considers such data confidential despite thelegislation demands).

The text of the Decree:

http://zakon2.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/77/15-%D1%80%D0%B3/print1418286734913276