Local referendums in the European Union and Ukraine: comparative characteristics

Abstract

Introduction. The article formulates proposals to improve the effectiveness of legal regulation of the institute of local referendum and involvement of citizens in the implementation of local self-government on the basis of comparative legal analysis of the legal regulation of local referendum in the European Union and Ukraine.

Summary of the main research results. In EU countries, unlike national referendums, local referendums are held on the territory of a subject of the federation, autonomous entity, or administrative-territorial unit. Such referendums address issues of local importance. The procedure for legislative consolidation of the local referendum in the EU countries is possible at three levels: constitutional, national legislation, and local. In Ukraine, the normative regulation of local referendums is carried out at two levels: constitutional and legislative levels. Currently, holding local referendums in Ukraine is impossible due to the lack of a special law in this area. The main types of referendums are characterized.

Conclusions. As a result of the analysis, it is proposed that in order to improve the effectiveness of legal regulation of the institute of the local referendum and eliminate the "legal vacuum" in this area, it is necessary to adopt a separate Law "On Local Referendum".

Draft Law No. 5512 "On Local Referendum",  which was registered in the Parliament on May 19, 2021, needs to be improved, namely, to regulate the possibility of holding a local referendum both at the municipal (local) level and at the regional level, that is, at the level of the region, district and the Autonomous Republic of Crimea to address issues of common interest to these communities; not all local referendums should be mandatory; the division of local referendums into mandatory and consultative ones may depend on the quorum of participation, for example, if the turnout is 50% percent or more - mandatory, consultative - if the turnout is less than 50%; to solve the problem of financing local referendums, to provide a mechanism for partial compensation of expenses from the state budget