The European Union Information Services Centre (EUISC) is being established by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine with support of the European Delegation’s Ukrainian-European Policy and Legal Advice Center (UEPLAC) and USAID’s Parliamentary Development Project for Ukraine (PDP II). This information service center will be available to all MPs, their aides, and all staff of the VRU and its committees. The center is intended to support the work of the Verkhovna Rada relevant to Ukraine’s entering into the European Association Agreement, which will require closer scrutiny of legislation to enable it to be brought into line with European Union norms and standards. The Centre was initiated by the request of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Committee on European Integration and its operation will be coordinated with the support of the Verkhovna Rada Department, of Computerized Systems since a vital component of the centre’s work will be effective use of electronic resources and development of knowledge management databases.

Through training and Centre staff development the EUISC is intended to provide an evidenced-based perspective on drafting legislation according to world and most specifically EU standards. The VR EUISC is modeled on similar centers and Europe.

Speaker Volodymyr Lytvyn, EU Deputy Head of the Delegation Maria Jurikova, and Laura Pavlovych, Deputy Director of the USAID Office of Democracy and Governance participated in the official opening of the Centre on July 14 at the Verkhovna Rada.

In her remarks at the official launch of the EUISC, Pavlovych noted that during the 20 years of Ukraine’s Independence which soon will be celebrated, the United States Government has assisted the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine through various venues to develop the institution of parliament and improve the legislative process. In the early 1990s the Frost Task Force of the US Congress worked with parliaments of the newly created and newly democratic states which emerged from the Soviet Union and in Eastern Europe. This included assistance from the US Congressional Research Service which in Ukraine was focused on helping to build capacity for electronic information storage and dissemination, the results of which is evident today in the excellent document management system in the Verkhovna Rada. But that program ended in 1995 without the establishment of the research services for parliament that was originally envisioned.

“We are pleased that the USAID Parliamentary Development Project for Ukraine, Legislative Policy Development Project --PDP II -- has been able to continue this initiative in the new program which focuses on approaching legislation and policymaking through a research and evidence supported process. Parliamentary information and research services using the vast resources of research and legal literature available through the electronic databases to which the Verkhovna Rada now subscribes have proven to be vital to the development of reasoned legislative solutions in modern legislatures. The participants of the training sessions that have been organized during the past months for the Rada staff and members have indicated that they can and will use these resources in their work. These resources while enhancing the legislative work of the Verkhovna Rada will also provide members with one more tool for informed debate which is the cornerstone of a parliament. We are pleased that we are able to provide the critical support needed by the Verkhovna Rada at this juncture for technical infrastructure support, training, and expert consultations.”

More information about the launch of the centre can also be found on the Rada website and in Holos Ukrainy.

Translation of НОВІ МОЖЛИВОСТІ ДЛЯ АДАПТАЦІЇ ЗАКОНОДАВСТВА ДО НОРМ ЄВРОСОЮЗУ Holos Ukrainy 15 July 2011

NEW POSSIBILITIES FOR ADAPTING LEGISLATION TO EU STANDARDS

Yesterday in Parliament, the European Information Support Centre (EUISC) was opened. Established by the European Union, the Information Center provides current information about the European Union and professional support in the research of legal issues. People's deputies of Ukraine, Verkhovna Rada staff and civil servants have access to professional legal databases, including a significant number of specialized publications on EU law. Users can also receive expert assistance on finding relevant information, including finding the EU legislation. The EUISC will post on its own website important parliamentary news and information on the processes and developments in the EU and Ukraine.

Opening the European Information Support Centre, Parliament Speaker Volodymyr Lytvyn stressed that this event is an important practical step by the Ukrainian Parliament in the implementation European integration policy of our country. He expressed hope that the centre will open for Ukrainian lawmakers, experts, staff of parliamentary committees and staff, experts in law new opportunities to obtain information about EU activities and access to EU legislation. Speaker of the Parliament stated: “given the fact that Ukraine is now working jointly with the EU on the preparation of documents on political association, free trade, the implementation plan for visa-free regime this will open opportunities for high-quality adaptation of Ukrainian legislation to EU legislation. "It will be a broad channel for informing MPs that it was an objective, reasonable and responsible perception of the EU - Volodymyr Lytvyn said. - The foreign policy of Ukraine in the European vector is a consolidating factor for Ukrainian life and supported by a wide public in general. "

Parliament Speaker also stressed the need to introduce the practice in the Ukrainian Parliament of legislative work that has already occurred in the parliaments of EU countries and the European Parliament.

An important feature of establishing the European Information Centre of is the fact that it was created on the basis of information and computer system of parliament, and this, according to Volodymyr Lytvyn, on the one hand, the evidence of our potential opportunities, on the other hand, will improve information resources. The Verkhovna Rada Speaker expressed hope that in time the center will form a pilot information-analytical and research center as part of the "e-parliament", the creation of which has long been under discussion.

V. Lytvyn thanked the expert support long-standing partner of the Ukrainian parliament - of the EU, the Ukrainian-European Legal and Policy Advice Centre, and the [USAID] Parliamentary Development Project for Ukraine. "We will complete this session on a very good, optimistic and promising note" – said V. Lytvyn.

The initiator of the creation of Information centre was the Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on European Integration.Borys Tarasiuk. He thanked the leadership of Parliament and parliamentary staff for their support in establishing the centre.

Deputy Head of EU Delegation to Ukraine Maria Jurikova stressed that relations between Ukraine and the EU are based on shared values and long traditions. In her view, the movement of our country in the direction of political association and free trade zone with the EU will significantly deepen relations between Ukraine and EU and will be a positive step for the citizens of Ukraine. As you know, both sides hope to conclude negotiations by the end of 2011.

The Info Centre offers the following services: access to legal databases, help deputies of Ukraine, their assistants and the staff of the Verkhovna Rada in response to requests for information about the EU and legal research training in search and management of information, news, bulletins and other publications on European topics and to making the EU.