http://www.icps.com.ua phrase meta description http://www.icps.com.ua/eng/news/6721.html News Thu, 9 Feb 2012 15:11:50 +0200 Setting up a Public Land Reform Platform in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast to Monitor the Progress of Reforms and Protect Human Rights   A presentation and discussion of the working version of this document took place on 9 February in Dnipropetrovsk. Participants in the brainstorming session discussed: a public paper on land reform in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast (version 2, reflecting commentary from the first brainstorming session). a concept for a public platform for instituting land reform in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast (version 2, reflecting propositions from the first brainstorming session). Terms of Reference for monitoring progress in reaching the objectives of land reform by local governments. You can find all the materials (ukr) below, in attachment.   (function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#xfbml=1"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); }(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));   http://www.icps.com.ua/eng/news/6715.html News Thu, 26 Jan 2012 15:01:18 +0200 «Reconciliation that transcends boundaries cannot be provided by a walled Europe but only by a continent that removes the decisive elements from its borders.»   Richard von Weizsacker, 1985 Carl Friedrich Goerdeler-Kolleg for Good Governance announces the call for young executives in the public sector from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Russia, Turkey and Ukraine on September 8 – 29, 2012 in Berlin and Warsaw . The Goerdeler-Kolleg for Good Governance invites you to gain further qualification in seminars, actively participate in discussions and project workshops, establish contacts in Germany and Central and Eastern Europe, and contribute to the development of good governance and administrative reforms. The Goerdeler-Kolleg is conducted as a joint project with the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP). Prof. Gunter Verheugen, former vice president of the European Commission, accompanies the participants as director of the Goerdeler-Kolleg. More infotrmation You can get from files(.pdf) attached bellow. http://www.icps.com.ua/eng/publications/nl/2012y.html ICPS Newsletter Wed, 25 Jan 2012 16:17:41 +0200 Our regular publications offer an independent, objective opinion that is in demand in government, expert and international circles. http://www.icps.com.ua/eng/publications/nl/6712.html ICPS Newsletter Wed, 25 Jan 2012 14:22:27 +0200 http://www.icps.com.ua/eng/news/6706.html News Thu, 12 Jan 2012 17:25:04 +0200 Economic reforms have so far yielded little and have done nothing to reduce business risks in Ukraine. Maintaining the balance of payments through foreign borrowings is also a dead end. If the country’s economy gets into a vicious cycle of dependence on foreign markets, even the most successful branches will find themselves slowly starving to death. The openness of the economy can only be balanced by increasing the GDP share of the domestic market. The World in 2012 (Ukrainian edition) commentary by ICPS analyst Ildar Gazizullin .   (function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#xfbml=1"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); }(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));   http://www.kyivpost.com/news/opinion/op_ed/detail/119850/ Commentaries Tue, 10 Jan 2012 13:16:20 +0200 http://www.icps.com.ua/eng/news/6701.html News Wed, 28 Dec 2011 14:04:29 +0200 Ihor Shevliakov In terms of technical regulation , a number of steps were taken that should bring Ukraine’s system more in line with European ones. At the end of 2010, the Law on market surveillance over non-food goods was adopted and entered into effect in July 2011. This piece of legislation is expected to considerably improve consumer protection against hazardous products and to relieve business from the pressure of burdensome inspections. However, there is no institutional capacity to actually undertake European market surveillance, this new system is not yet in place in its entirety and has not begun to operate properly. In the process of reorganizing the executive branch, the main body responsible for technical regulation was finally reformed. Although it took more than one attempt to get there, the functions of policy-making, setting requirements, evaluating compliance and enforcement of product requirements have been institutionally separated. The managerial chaos that resulted from this restructuring became one of the reasons for delays in establishing a market surveillance system in the country. Still, key problems in this sphere remain unresolved, although this was anticipated by the Economic Reform Program for 2010-2014. Complete mandatory certification of all products made or imported into Ukraine and inadequate quality standards—more than half of which are still soviet-era ones—continue to prevent Ukrainian products from being sold on EU markets and those of other developed countries, to keep western business from coming to Ukraine, hamper industrial innovation and modernization, constitute a burden for both manufacturers and retailers, which is then passed along to consumers in the form of higher prices. Maksym Boroda Pension reform as such has not happened—just some preparations for it have taken place. Certain parameters in the way the social security system functions were optimized to reduce the burden on the public purse, but the system itself underwent no changes at all. Ukraine continues to live with an inefficient soviet PAYGO pension system. The new, accumulative pillar of the pension security system was not introduced and when it might eventually be introduced is anyone’s guess. Larion Lozoviy Environmental protection reforms continue to stagnate, while some changes to environmental policy can only be interpreted as a major rollback. Strategic milestones for the development of this sector that have been established by the current Administration in such documents as the Environmental Strategy through 2020 and the National Action Plan through 2015 are based on the existing institutional arrangement and legislation and clearly do not anticipate profound changes. Environmental and energy policies remain disconnected, which complicates the country’s international commitments, such as the Energy Community, Aarhus, and so on. A number of obvious “rollbacks” immediately come to mind: the procedure for environmental studies of large building projects was effectively cut out of the Law on urban development; the long-anticipated introduction of Euro-4 and Euro-5 standards for fuels was postponed several times, in both 2010 and 2011, under pressure from the domestic oil lobby. The environmental sector also felt the “side-effects” of administrative reforms: for instance, the dismantling of the State Service for Protected Areas left the nature and protected area fonds without a responsible regulatory body. What’s more, the reorganization left the Environment Ministry’s work paralyzed for a long time. One positive bit of news was the reform of environmental taxes: the procedure itself was considerably simplified and the actual tax increased severalfold. Still, most of these revenues will go to the general budget, not to targeted environmental funds. Anna Cherednychenko No reforms of the business environment actually took place. The main problem that faces business in Ukraine—the arbitrary and fragmented application of the rule that makes the business environment unpredictable and maintains an unlevel playing field—was not resolved. Even worse, the scale of inappropriate application of rules has grown, as evidenced by growing unofficial pressure from government agencies on enterprises and the rising number of takeovers. Oleksandr Zholud Tax reforms largely came down to combining existing laws into a single document, which may have somewhat eased the looking up of relevant norms but did not at all change the fundamentally negative features of the previous tax system, including the hand-management of budget revenues. Ildar Gazizullin The social security system saw a largely ineffective attempt to drop category-based benefits, such as for Chornobyl liquidators or Afghan War veterans, in 2011. The switch to targeted assistance might save the budget some money and minimize the injustice of the current social security system, but the way in which this was being done stirred considerable protest. The Government did not do a good job of preparing for the changes, trying to have benefit sizes set at the discretion the Cabinet of Ministers. And although no one said anything about cuts, everyone understood that sooner or later the Government would, in fact, start cutting social benefits. In short, as with many other of its decisions, the Government should have worked more transparently, explaining why certain cuts were necessary, instead of trying to hide its intentions. Andriy Bega Former First Deputy Director, Center for the Adaptation of the Civil Service to European Union Standards Administrative reform , as the reorganization of the executive branch in December 2010 was called, did largely ensure the streamlining of an overly-complicated system. However, it is early to give administrative reform as a whole a positive assessment because the essence of the executive branch’s work did not change. Improving public administration means not only streamlining the system of central executive bodies but also resolving two additional key objectives: reviewing the functions that these bodies carry out and changing the way that they do so. As far as the first objective is concerned, each of the existing government functions needs to answer to a single question: is this really needed? A significant portion of oversight powers and state services are simply ballast and cutting them out would foster the deregulation of the business environment in Ukraine and the simplification of the process of getting social services. In those instances where the functions really are necessary, it will be necessary to find the best way for carrying them out, including as an option of handing them over to the private sector. As to how functions are being carried out, it must start with more transparent and more professional policy-making process, given that this is one of the basic functions of a state, and also about legislating the procedures for providing administrative services. The main instrument for improving the service provision process among CEBs should be e-government, as information technologies have immense potential for resolving the problems of access to services and service quality.   (function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#xfbml=1"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); }(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));   http://www.icps.com.ua/eng/news/6696.html News Fri, 23 Dec 2011 17:18:03 +0200 ICPS team expresses its gratitude for fruitful cooperation in 2011 and sends its Greetings for Season Holidays!   (function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#xfbml=1"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); }(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));   http://www.icps.com.ua/eng/news/6692.html News Wed, 21 Dec 2011 17:51:05 +0200 Ukrainian society and most political forces have acknowledged the inevitability of forming a proper market for farmland. Still, the absence of a focused state policy and the lack of information mean that most voters are afraid that instituting a market for farmland will cost them their properties, make it impossible to use lands that are in the public domain or to access forested lands and waters. For this reason, a significant portion of civil society is against withdrawing the moratorium on the sale of land zoned for agricultural purposes. Ukraine needs an instrument for minimizing the risks connected to land reform. This could take the shape of a Public Land Reform Platform that would provide a feedback mechanism for the oblast’s government and make it possible for all interest groups to be heard. ICPS has begun to put together a Public Platform in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast under a project funded by the International Renaissance Foundation. The International Centre for Policy Studies joined the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Council, the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Association of Local Government Agencies, and the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Development Association, a charitable organization, in organizing the first brainstorming session under the “Setting up a Public Land Reform Platform in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast to Monitor the Progress of Reforms and Protect Human Rights” project, in the city of Dnipropetrovsk. The project is being carried out by ICPS with the support of the International Renaissance Foundation (IRF). During the brainstorming session, six main items were presented and discussed: a public document on land reform in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast; analysis of legal requirements in land relations based on an appeal to law enforcement agencies; the concept for a public land reform platform in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast; the organization chart of such a public land reform platform; mechanisms for interaction among sub-units of the public platform; mechanisms for interaction between the public platform and local government agencies responsible for institution the reform.   (function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#xfbml=1"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); }(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));   http://www.icps.com.ua/eng/publications/nl/6688.html ICPS Newsletter Tue, 6 Dec 2011 17:03:09 +0200 http://www.icps.com.ua/eng/comment/6686.html Commentaries Tue, 6 Dec 2011 11:16:23 +0200 Vivica Williams is a 2011-2012 US Fulbright Fellow in the field of energy. She is affiliated with the International Centre for Policy Studies. Ukraine can use its obligations to the European Energy Community to expedite national energy efficiency reforms and alleviate economic woes For Ukraine, improving energy efficiency (EE) could be the best remedy for a host of problems. Using less energy will help ease the fiscal deficit by lowering the amount needed – by as much as 30%– and therefore the cost of imported natural gas. And industries will reduce their operational costs and become more competitive and resilient in a downturn market. In general, EE stimulates sustainable economic growth and leads to job creation. As it is, Ukraine is one of the most energy-intensive economies in the industrialized world. In 2010, the Government made the ambitious goal to reduce energy intensity by 20% by 2015 and 50% by 2030. To meet these energy savings goals, there must be compelling impetus for change. If prevailing internal needs are not enough, the European Energy Community (EEC) and its obligations could be the additional key to establishing conditions for successful EE reform in Ukraine. EE directives in the Energy Community Treaty (ECT) provide Ukraine with proven techniques, clear guidelines and the accompanying EU support it needs to implement EE reforms. Energy Community obligations The EEC is composed of the EU and 9 contracting parties[1] obligated to fulfill certain EU directives which, when implemented, will theoretically create a shared energy market, one that is both competitive and socially responsible. Ukraine signed the ECT in September 2010 and became a contracting party in February 2011. The ECT contains binding agreements on the regulation of natural gas, electricity, competition and environmental protection related to energy concerns. Energy efficiency is another key aspect of the ECT; and, for Ukraine, it could provide the greatest positive cost-to-benefits if effectively implemented. The energy efficiency acquis in the ECT are concentrated in primarily three directives and address issues that are especially relevant to Ukraine. The Energy End-Use Efficiency and Energy Services Directive (2006/32/EC) pertains to how well energy is used by final consumers in industry, services, agriculture, households, transportation, and other areas. This directive would particularly affect Ukraine’s district heating stations which lose up to 70% of overall energy produced. The Energy Performance of Buildings (2010/31/EU) and Labeling of Energy-Related Products (2010/30/EU) directives strive to create comparative minimum standards for the efficiency of new and existing buildings and appliances as well as to ensure regular inspections and certifications. The implementation of these EE directives is hindered by the same types of obstacles delaying other reforms. Laws are fragmented, and the regulatory framework is poorly structured, preventing the adoption on a national level of what works in municipalities and regions. The national and local governments as well as financial institutions often do not have the required technical capacity to initiate and sustain EE projects. And funding is limited or nonexistent due to few incentives to invest, excessive tax burdens and unattractive loan terms. Despite their significance, these obstacles can be surmounted with careful planning, deliberate execution, and cooperation on the international, national, and regional levels. Aligning legal and regulatory frameworks To meet EEC requirements, one of the first steps is harmonizing Ukrainian legislation and regulations with ECT directives on energy efficiency. The current Energy Strategy to 2030 included a goal for decreasing energy intensity by 50%, but did not outline specific reforms or a national path for achieving this ambitious target. The international community, however, seized upon energy use reduction goals to help the Ukrainian government foment more substantial plans. With funding from the EU, the State Agency for Energy Saving and Energy Efficiency (SAEEEC) is already addressing institutional reform and developing a policy agenda. Yet existing legislation and regulations make it difficult for any activity to yield sustainable results. The EU will begin cooperating with Ukraine on a twinning project, “Improvement of the Policy Framework in the Sphere of Energy Efficiency and its Approximation to the Requirements of the EU Legislation”, slated to begin in March 2012. The project will improve or introduce mechanisms needed to implement legislative changes, including developing incentive schemes, energy management practices and public information campaigns. The Energy Services Directive presses contracting parties to develop a National Energy Efficiency Action Plan (NEEAP), a comprehensive roadmap for implementing EE governance, which can replace Ukraine’s mostly declarative 1994 Law on Energy. The current Law provides definitions and acknowledges existing problems, but it goes no further. A NEEAP would establish specific national energy savings targets, outline compulsory activities (e.g. energy audits), and present a detailed methodology for obtaining these goals. It will also provide a higher degree of transparency as it includes the clear identification of financial resources. This action plan cannot be formulated in isolation but rather requires engagement with stakeholders. Energy efficiency policy must also be firmly situated in every aspect of policy strategy. SAEEC cannot accurately track improvements or satisfy EU conditions for budget support without such a plan. By more closely aligning current planning tools with the Energy End-Use Efficiency Directive, the government can encourage consumers to decrease their energy use and define the non-budgetary incentives that will help accomplish this goal. The current State Target Economic Programme of Energy Efficiency for 2010 – 2015 establishes conditions for reducing the level of energy consumption but places little emphasis on end-user energy demand. Since its creation, state policy has shown to be ineffective in lowering energy intensity, an indication that the policy implementation tools require revision. Finding the funds Meeting EE directives will require significant upfront investment but expenses are spread across multiple sectors and are often secondary to meeting other ECT requirements. In the case of power plants, many upgrades installed to meet ECT environmental directives have the added bonus of also increasing energy efficiency. According to the International Finance Corporation, the housing sector, however, will require a projected $16 billion USD over 10-15 years to integrate EE technologies and practices. The World Bank estimates that, in order to meet the 2030 goal of 50% energy savings, Ukraine will need to invest at least USD 1 billion annually after the initial upgrades. This sum should not be a deterrent to reform. EE projects are quite attractive to investors, making financing less of a hurdle than legal and regulatory reform. EE investments generally enjoy short payback periods as they are normally economically viable. In May, the World Bank approved a $200 million USD loan to be utilized by UkrEximBank, which in turn will directly finance eligible EE projects and provide sub-loans to other banks. This loan program will serve primarily the industrial and municipal sector. Until recently, loans were unavailable or had unattractive terms, and banks were uninterested in EE projects. World Bank and other loan programs should help address this issue. Industries, however, remain skeptical about the effectiveness of EE programs. For this reason, projects must deliver real energy savings quickly (within 1 – 3 years) to build program credibility. In this case, it is the creditworthiness of many prospective borrowers – municipalities and businesses – that may impede financial sustainability. Private financers are unable to assist many companies requesting funds because of credit issues. The Nordic Environmental Finance Corporation (NEFCO) reports that it cannot fund 80% of applicants due to excessive tax burdens. The current taxation legislation increased the tax burdens for small- and medium-sized enterprises, forcing many to close. With these closures, municipalities saw their budgets shrink as a result of the decrease in tax payments. Tax system reforms have been slow to reduce pressure on these businesses. In contrast, bilateral and multilateral donors are increasingly assisting local authorities to enact EE practices. A formal policy could coordinate government and donor activities, but to-date one does not exist. Nevertheless, donor support is vital when first establishing a national EE program. In addition to money, international financers usually offer assistance building technical capacity, improving legal frameworks and formulating awareness campaigns. EE must become sustainable, however, after donor-funded projects end and this is often not the case. To keep successful pilot projects from becoming isolated events, the government will need to rely on other funding mechanisms. Besides traditional subsidies, energy taxes or budget allocations, the International Energy Agency reports that system public benefit charges (SPBCs) in particular provide a more workable balance of stable and adequate financing. These programs could work well on the regional and local levels, especially after electricity concerns are privatized. Energy providers collect revenues from customers that are then earmarked by independent regulators for EE-related projects, including assisting vulnerable populations in managing energy use. Public benefit charges usually only approach between 1 – 3% of an energy provider’s revenue, but generate substantial funds for reinvestment. According to the Energy Services Directive, the public sector should also fulfill an “exemplary role” in EE improvement measures. But what constitutes “the public sector”? Only 39 percent of EU member states have precisely defined public sectors. Yet this sector is where it is easiest to implement broad EE public policy with the largest spill-over effect into the private sector. An absolute definition may not be required, but the Ukrainian government can identify key concerns (schools, public administration building, etc.) and aggressively promote whatever EE improvements it makes. Engaging and empowering The Government is realizing the necessity for decentralizing EE reform. At the April 2011 Conference ‘Energy Efficiency: Best Practices from European and Ukrainian Cities’ in Kyiv, SAEEC Chairman Mykola Pashkevych said the government is moving away from controlling the implementation of EE programs and turning instead more to advocacy and promotion. Local authorities can now assume more control over energy management within their municipalities. It is essential, however, to build the capacity of local authorities to act independently while at the same time providing clear legal and regulatory support and incentives from the national government. Moreover, other stakeholders require the same consideration and support. The ECT sets the institutional framework that makes being an EE provider of energy a distinct advantage. Energy providers often concentrate on the barriers to energy efficiency, i.e. cost and temporary decrease in revenue during implementation, instead of focusing on medium- and long-term outcomes. After implementing ECT directives, DTEK and other providers would be able to compete with companies in an EU internal electricity market where environmentally friendly and efficient energy are in high demand. This potential, however, will not motivate most companies to implement potentially costly EE programs. These companies may respond best to a combination of uniformly-instituted incentives, obligations and strong oversight by regulators. SPBCs can also serve to finance EE technologies and practices. The private sector and the public must also become active stakeholders. Both drive demand for EE products as well as, in the case of the private sector, develop new and lower-cost EE technologies. Success depends entirely on their understanding of and motivation for implementing energy savings programs. Public information campaigns can stimulate private sector interest and awaken public demand for such programs. A formalized countrywide communication campaign would play a major role in propagating more success stories. Local authorities can also collaborate under a national umbrella to share experiences and best practices. Currently this role is filled by a handful of associations and international organizations acting locally. The Association “Energy Efficiency Cities of Ukraine”, for example, coordinates with other associations to connect local authorities who implement EU energy efficiency acquis and other energy savings techniques. While donor aid often focuses on industrial and municipal sectors, individuals and small- and medium-sized enterprises can also benefit from low-interest micro-loans for EE projects. Again, the short payback period of this type of investment can be very appealing to the public and, if properly administered, also profitable for local banks. Such targeted loaning programs have been successful internationally, as in Turkey and the Czech Republic. Pilot programs initiated in Ukraine, such as UKEEP and the low-interest loan program in Lviv, indicate the great potential and public demand for such endeavors. Small-scale financing, big time potential Significant investment is required to meet the energy efficiency directives in the Energy Community Treaty, but not all of it needs to come from government budget allocations, large-scale investors or other traditional sources. Energy efficiency relies heavily on the involvement of and investments from the public and small- and medium-sized enterprises. The Ukraine Energy Efficiency Programme (UKEEP) Funded by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), this project provides technical assistance and debt financing for EE or renewable energy projects. UKEEP focuses on private businesses, including agribusiness and municipal services with majority shares privately owned. Number of approved projects: 44 Total amount of loans financed: $102.5 million USD Total energy savings per year: 2,109,000 MWh (equivalent to the electricity consumption of 519,000 households) Cooperating financial institutions: 3 banks Operation dates: 2007-2011 http://www.ukeep.org/ Energy Saving Programme for Residents of the Lviv Region for the years 2009-2012 This program subsidizes 15% of the interest on loans for private citizens to install energy efficient technologies. This energy savings project was initiated by Bank Lviv and NEFCO. Number of approved loans: 1528 Total amount of loans financed: $4.5 million EUR Cooperating financial institutions: 7 banks, 11 financial institutions Operation dates: 2009-2012 http://www.loda.gov.ua/ua/priorities/energysaving/Programs/ Donor or finance organizations fund these projects for only a specified period of time. Although they have both been extremely successful, the programs have not been reproduced in other regions or extended nationally. Beyond Energy Community obligations Besides fulfilling EEC requirements, there are secondary drivers and additional benefits to enacting the ECT EE directives. Firstly, Ukraine is still in the final negotiating stages of an Association Agreement and a Free Trade Agreement with the EU. Yet it has already acceded to the Energy Community – its first truly binding membership in an EU organization with obligations no different than those imposed upon EU member states. Success here casts a hopefully light over other agreements, raising the international community’s opinion on Ukraine’s prospects as a reliable partner country. Secondly, Euro 2012 affords Ukraine opportunities to create energy efficient infrastructures. These structures will far outlast the brief sporting event for which they were built and serve as showcases to attract additional investment and stimulate job growth. Energy efficiency is the most cost effective way to reduce energy intensity and, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA), Ukraine’s best opportunity for improving energy security. The government recognizes the truth in this statement. Recent news reports and government statements indicate support for replacing inefficient lighting and district heating boilers, renovating schools and military housing, and generally reducing energy use. The real work has yet to begin, but the foundation was laid decades ago and made much stronger when Ukraine signed the Energy Community Treaty, a binding contract that provides the incentives, roadmaps and guidance that can accelerate reform. [1] Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia, former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo, Moldova, and Ukraine.   (function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) {return;} js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/uk_UA/all.js#xfbml=1"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); }(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk')); http://www.icps.com.ua/eng/news/6685.html News Tue, 6 Dec 2011 10:49:58 +0200 What do a unicameral legislature and drying shelves, SMSs and challenges have in common? Or presents for expecting mothers, stations for carpet washing or the African Star? They’re all Finnish social innovations? For many years, Finland tended to pay too much attention to only technical discoveries as the basis of its economy—nearly 4% of GNP goes towards research and development (R&D). Discussion began over the idea of social innovations as the basis for well-being. Equality of men and women, free education, social security for all, parliamentary democracy, and the social peace that they generate, are a guarantee of well-being. The International Centre for Policy Studies, together with the Embassy of Finland in Ukraine, presented a book called “100 Social Innovations from Finland.” The presentation was held by Ilkka Taipale, an adjunct professor, MD and author of the book “100 Social Innovations from Finland” and  Professor Vappu Taipale, Minister of Health in 1982-1983, minister of Social Affairs 1983-1984. The presentation  took place at the residence of Finland’s Ambassador to Ukraine. Participants in the seminar will all receive a copy of the book, “100 Social Innovations from Finland” in Ukrainian translation.   (function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) {return;} js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/uk_UA/all.js#xfbml=1"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); }(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk')); http://www.icps.com.ua/eng/publications/nl/6689.html ICPS Newsletter Tue, 22 Nov 2011 17:08:09 +0200 http://www.icps.com.ua/eng/publications/eu_focus/6680.html European Focus Tue, 22 Nov 2011 10:17:22 +0200 http://www.icps.com.ua/eng/publications/nl/6676.html ICPS Newsletter Tue, 8 Nov 2011 17:53:32 +0200 http://www.icps.com.ua/eng/publications/nl/6670.html ICPS Newsletter Tue, 25 Oct 2011 16:56:05 +0300 http://www.icps.com.ua/eng/key_issues/foreign_policy_foreign_aid/6673.html Commentaries Tue, 25 Oct 2011 10:35:27 +0300 http://www.icps.com.ua/eng/news/6667.html News Wed, 19 Oct 2011 10:33:36 +0300 The International Centre for Policy Studies congratulates Bohdan Hawrylyshyn, Chair of the ICPS Supervisory Board from 1996-2008, on his 85th birthday. Thank you for your superior strategic management. We wish you continuing strength and inspiration for your next round of achievements! http://www.icps.com.ua/eng/publications/nl/6660.html ICPS Newsletter Wed, 12 Oct 2011 10:40:33 +0300 http://www.icps.com.ua/eng/news/6659.html News Mon, 10 Oct 2011 11:10:48 +0300 "Managing Think Tanks helps to mitigate the paradox that organisations aiming to bring about good governance in their societies are often badly managed, and in this it does an exelent job indeed"