OREANDA-NEWS. August 20, 2013. Ukraine has edged its way a one more steps towards the EU. Government at its last meeting approved the Draft Law on the Principles of Regional Policy, as stipulated by the EU-Ukraine Association Agenda, the updated edition of which is approved at the sixteenth session of the Cooperation Council EU-Ukraine in Luxembourg on June 24 in 2013.

"The draft law defines the legal, economic and organizational framework of development and implementation of regional policy," director of Regional Policy Department of the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade Olena Nyzhnyk said.

The draft law stipulates that the state regional policy - a system of goals, measures and concerted actions of central and local executive authorities, local self-government bodies to ensure a high quality of life throughout Ukraine.

"Issue of participation of non-governmental organizations, regional development agencies, in the development and implementation of regional policy is normalized in this bill. Among the novelties of this paper are the introduction of monitoring and evaluation of regional policy," Olena Nyzhnyk said.