Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko signed off Law “On Amendments to Certain Laws of Ukraine regarding the subordination of religious organizations and the procedure for state registration of religious organizations with the status of legal entities,” the presidential administration press service reports.
The draft law stipulates a decision to change subordination (denomination) and introduce relevant amendments or changes to the statute shall be approved by at least two-thirds of its authorized members of a religious community at a general meeting.
After the religious community decides to change its subordination, a moratorium on the alienation of its property is imposed until this procedure is legally completed.
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The draft law provides that members of the community who disagree with the decision to change its subordination have the right to form a new community and conclude an agreement on the use of religious buildings and property with their owner (user).
The final provisions of the draft law stipulate that if a religious organization decides to change its subordination, it should inform the central executive body that implements state policy in the sphere of religion, or regional, Kyiv and Sevastopol city administrations, and the Council of Ministers of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, which in turn shall announce the decision on their official websites.
At the same time, the statutes (regulations) of religious organizations shall be amended in compliance with this law within a year from the date of its entry into force.
As UNIAN reported earlier, the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament, approved the relevant bill on January 17, 2019.
