Law No. 280/97-VR “On local self-government in Ukraine”.

Local self-government in Ukraine is the state-guaranteed right and real ability of a territorial community - residents of a village or a voluntary association of residents of several villages, a town, a city into a rural community - to resolve issues of local importance independently or under the responsibility of local government bodies and officials within the framework of the Constitution and laws of Ukraine. Local self-government is implemented by territorial communities of villages, towns, and cities both directly and through village, town, and city councils and their executive bodies, as well as through district and regional councils, which represent the common interests of territorial communities of villages, towns, and cities. Citizens of Ukraine exercise their right to participate in local self-government by belonging to the relevant territorial communities. Local self-government in Ukraine is carried out on the principles of: (a) democracy; (b) legality; (c) publicity; (d) collegiality; (e) combining local and state interests; (f) election; (g) legal, organizational, and material and financial independence within the limits of the powers defined by this and other laws; (h) accountability and responsibility of their bodies and officials to territorial communities; (i) state support and guarantees for local self-government; and (j) judicial protection of the rights of local self-government. Decisions adopted by local referendum are binding on the relevant territory. Members of a territorial community have the right to initiate consideration in the council (by local initiative) of any issue falling within the jurisdiction of local self-government. Public hearings shall be held at least once a year. The following issues are resolved exclusively at plenary meetings of the village, settlement, and city councils: (a) approval of local plans to reduce anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions and increase greenhouse gas removal by sinks, as well as local climate change adaptation strategies or decisions to include policies and measures to mitigate the effects of climate change and adapt to it in regional development strategies; (b) resolving issues of regulating land relations in accordance with the law; (c) approval of land tax rates in accordance with the Tax Code of Ukraine; (d) resolving, in accordance with the law, issues regarding the granting of a permit for the special use of natural resources of local importance, as well as the termination of such a permit; and (e) approval of local waste management, including household waste management, plans. This Law contains V Sections divided into 80 Articles. Section I lays down general provisions. Section II establishes organizational and legal framework of local self-government. Section III establishes material and financial basis of local self-government. Section IV establishes guarantees of local self-government, responsibility of local self-government bodies and officials. Section V lays down final and transitional provisions.