Constitutional and Legal Framework for the Capacity of Local Self-Government in Ukraine in the Context of European Integration: the Experience of the Baltic States
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21564/2225-6555.2026.29.360310Keywords:
capacity, local self-government, subsidiarity principle, financial autonomy, European integrationAbstract
The article is devoted to a topical issue in the context of Ukraine’s European integration, namely the modernization of legislative regulation of mechanisms for ensuring the capacity of local self-government. The relevance of the study is determined by the need to take into account European experience, in particular that of the Baltic states, where the concept of "capacity" is widely used in legal systems as a tool for enhancing efficiency and ensuring the proper functioning of local self-government. This approach is based on the full implementation of the provisions of the European Charter of Local Self-Government, which establishes relevant standards. The article analyzes the doctrinal understanding of the essence of the concept of "capacity" and distinguishes it from related categories, in particular "actual ability." The current state of legal regulation of this concept in Ukraine and the specifics of its enshrinement in normative legal acts are examined. Considerable attention is paid to the analysis of the practices of the Baltic states as an example of effective ensuring the capacity of local self-government. The author proposes a definition of capacity as a socio-legal category that reflects the potential ability of municipal institutions and the system of local self-government as a whole to effectively exercise their powers, provided that the necessary resources and internal potential are available. Based on this approach, proposals for amendments to the Constitution of Ukraine are substantiated, aimed at strengthening the institutional, functional, and financial capacity of local self-government. It is determined that such changes should be based on the provisions of the European Charter of Local Self-Government and the best practices of the Baltic states.
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