The Rada will consider the Eurosolidarity bill on shelters

The Verkhovna Rada Committee on Environmental Policy and Nature Management unanimously supported the draft law of Petro Poroshenko and the European Solidarity faction on shelters. The document is now to be considered at a plenary session of the parliament.

This was announced by Artur Gerasimov, co-chair of the European Solidarity faction.

“The Verkhovna Rada Committee on Environmental Policy and Nature Management unanimously supported the bill by Petro Poroshenko and European Solidarity on shelters, on protecting people,” Gerasimov said.

He called on all parliamentary factions to support the document during the vote in the Verkhovna Rada.

“A full-scale invasion has been going on for many years, and the issue of shelters has still not been resolved. And this is a shame for the country,” the deputy emphasized.

According to Gerasimov, the draft law provides for three key components: sufficient and transparent funding of shelters, their accessibility to citizens, and clear standards for maintenance and operation.

In particular, the document stipulates that a person should be able to reach a shelter in a maximum of 10 minutes. Protective structures should also be accessible to people with disabilities and equipped with the necessary engineering networks.

“There should be water, heat, electricity. All engineering networks should be equipped there,” Gerasimov explained.

The bill also provides for unhindered access of citizens to protective structures during martial law, regular inspections of their condition, and increased responsibility for the maintenance of shelters.

In addition, the authors of the document propose expanding the network of protective structures, in particular by installing modular shelters.

Gerasimov called on the Verkhovna Rada to support the draft law, and after the first reading, together with the State Emergency Service, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the relevant ministry, and regional administrations, to finalize it for the second reading.

“These three important things – sufficient and transparent funding, maintenance and operation standards, and accessibility – are fundamental in this bill,” the faction co-chair emphasized.

Earlier, during a speech from the rostrum of the Verkhovna Rada, Petro Poroshenko called on deputies to consider the draft law on shelters. He also called the creation and arrangement of defensive structures one of the key tasks of the state on the eve of autumn and another military winter.