President signs Law of Ukraine on jurisdiction and procedure for state registration of religious organizations

President Petro Poroshenko has signed the Law of Ukraine “On amendments to some laws of Ukraine concerning the affiliation of religious organizations and the procedure for state registration of religious organizations as legal entities”, adopted by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on January 17, 2019. This is reported by the Head of State's website.

The law provides for mechanisms to establish a way in which a religious organization may change its affiliation to religious centers (administrations) operating in Ukraine and abroad.

The law stipulates that a decision to change affiliation and to amend or supplement the charter shall be approved by the general meeting of the religious community with no less than two thirds of its members. These two-thirds are deducted from the amount required for the general meeting of the religious community to be recognized as valid. The decision to change affiliation and to make appropriate amendments or additions to the charter is certified by the signatures of members of the religious community.

According to the Law, a decision to change affiliation and to make appropriate amendments to the charter shall be subject to registration in line with the procedure established by Article 14 of the Law of Ukraine “On Freedom of Conscience and Religious Organizations”.

The list of documents, which must be submitted to the registration authority for the Charter (Regulations) registration of the religious community, is also specified.

The final provisions of the Law stipulate that a religious organization, in the event of a decision to change its affiliation, shall notify such decision to the central executive authority implementing the state policy in the field of religion, or oblast, Kyiv and Sevastopol city state administrations, and in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea - Council of Ministers of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, which ensure publication of this decision on an official website.

The law takes effect from the day following its publication date.