Peculiarities of the Functioning of Territorial Community Statutes Through the Lens of Legislative Changes During Ukraine’s European Integration

The functioning of a democratic society cannot exist without a developed system of local democracy, which presupposes the presence of effectively operating local self-government institutions. When considering democratic values through the lens of citizen participation in decision-making, it is essential to ensure real guarantees for the exercise of their rights at the local level. The right of community residents to independently resolve local issues is guaranteed by the Constitution of Ukraine. Creating appropriate conditions for ensuring residents' participation in the daily management of local affairs is a key objective enshrined with legal force in the foundational document of each territorial community, as provided in its statute. The statute is the sole local normative legal act that regulates instruments of resident participation in addressing local issues, such as general assemblies (conferences) of residents, local initiatives, public hearings, and public evaluation of the activities of local self-government bodies and officials. The statute serves as the primary local normative legal act that defines the general principles for the development of the territorial community, which are subsequently specified in strategic documents. Thanks to the adoption of the European Charter of Local Self-Government in 1985, local selfgovernment has become an important institution that established participatory democracy at the local level. A significant driving force behind the implementation of participatory democracy by community residents is the enshrinement of such rights in the statute of the territorial community. Until recently, statutes did not have a mandatory character regarding their adoption at the national legislative level in Ukraine. However, over time, the practice of using territorial community statutes has gradually developed, which eventually led to amendments to the Law of Ukraine “On Local Self-Government in Ukraine” in 2024. Starting from January 1, 2027, the existence of an adopted statute will become mandatory for every territorial community. At the same time, all existing community statutes will require revision, as recent years have brought significant legislative changes (in connection with the acquis communautaire) that establish legal foundations for public participation in local governance processes and guarantee transparency in the activities of local self-government bodies.