Ukraine has been facing the problem of reforming of administrative and territorial structure (ATS) since it became independent, yet it has gained a special relevance after two consequent economic crises and in the period of after-crisis restoration of national economy accompanied by the search for efficient ways to accelerate reviving processes in the country’s economic system. The following reasons have also impacted the acceleration of ATS reforming in the country lately: boosted integration into single European economic space; fierce political-economic discussion about the impossibility of the country’s federalization; search for the ways to reduce the gap in socio-economic development of Ukrainian regions and their components. European experience of regional development is gaining increasing importance in this context, as it should become the leading driver of current restoration and further growth of Ukrainian economy. The paper aims to develop the ways to improve the efficiency of administrative and territorial structure reform in Ukraine based on assessment of the reform results in the country, identification of problems and implementation of foreign experience in their solution. The paper shows the processes of administrative and territorial structure reform in Ukraine and reveals its achievements and problems. Conducting of administrative and territorial structure reform is assessed. Main achievements of administrative and territorial structure reform in the country are characterized. The dynamics of average number of territorial communities that have united into one consolidated territorial community in 2015-2018 is shown. The importance of conducting the reform in the context of the country’s integration with the European Union is emphasized and experience of EU Member States in terms of administrative and territorial structure reforming is examined with the focus on the post-socialistic type of countries. The ways to improve administrative and territorial structure reform in Ukraine and to solve its problems based on implementation of foreign experience are suggested. 

administrative-territorial structure, implementation of foreign experience, consolidated territorial communities, reform 

Analysis of scientific approaches to interpretation of investment capacity is conducted. Definition of the term «investment capacity of territorial community» is suggested. Special attention is paid to its specific features – concrete territorial context and dependence on peculiarities of local natural, social, economic and other factors and on the efficiency and adequacy of territorial management bodies’ activity directed at the use of community’s investment capacity. The structure of territorial community’s investment capacity is examined and its major components are outlined: natural conditions and resources, raw materials base, human resources, economic base, financial resources, investment climate and scientific, technological, innovative, institutional, infrastructural and management maintenance. The problems of forming and exploitation of territorial communities’ investment capacity are emphasized. Low management capacity and promotion activity of local governing bodies, absence of efficient incentives for investors and poor quality of local development programs are among them. The scheme of investment capacity management mechanism at the level of territorial community is suggested in order to outline the directions of management influences of local governing bodies on implementation of territorial communities’ investment capacity. 

investment capacity, territorial community, local governing bodies, management influence, management mechanism 

Modern state forming processes can be characterized by the domination of the so called community concept over the concept of paternalism; hence we can talk about the transfer of initiatives on territorial development to the community level. The communities through the means of indirect or direct democracy provide social and economic development of the territory and therefore create preconditions for implementation of sustainable development concept. Granting territorial communities with broad powers in the public-political sphere stipulates activation of their public activity, and therefore forming of civil society institutes and acceleration of territorial development. But solely activity and development of public initiatives and political processes at the level of community is not enough; financial capacity of the community is important and key factor. For this local government bodies have to implement available economic potential of the territory to the fullest extent and to actively promote the development of economic processes. They also have to act as the economic entities through efficient management of community property. Along with this, in terms of conducting of local governance reform economic development of the community can be fostered through the mechanism of cooperation between several territorial communities in order to solve mutual problems of territorial development. Taking this into consideration, the mechanism of economic cooperation as one of the directions of financial capability maintenance in the community evokes great interest. The article aims to analyze mechanisms of economic development maintenance and territorial communities’ cooperation implementation that can be used by local governance. The article outlines the problems of territorial communities’ economic development. The forms of territorial communities’ cooperation and strengthening of their financial capacity level due to the latter are analyzed. The features of cooperation development between the territorial communities are defined. Major risks in the process of communities combining are described. 

territorial community, local governance bodies, inter-municipal cooperation, capable community, local budgets 

The relevance of fundamental changes of the-after-Soviet Ukrainian administrative and territorial division is outlined. Special attention is paid to the fact that community activity is very low in terms of the measures directed at improvement of management due to a few specific reasons: for a long time the legislative support was absent, so the interest (stimulation) on the lowest level was also absent; corruption took place in all allocation (privatization) processes of community property (land, real estate). Centralized command for fundamental changes for Ukraine is a priority, taking into account the experience of successful processes in European countries, particularly in France. The ways of introducing the French model in Ukrainian scientists’ proceedings are considered. Administrative and territorial division of France is analysed. The design features of local government in territorial entities of different status are outlined. The specific feature, which distinguishes the commune – lowest link in France – from other similar administrative and territorial divisions of different countries is shown – it is a complete autonomy in the authority performing. Commune is a single administrative and territorial division of France, where there are no separate State Authorities, which is similar to town and city councils in Ukraine. In the French commune, as in Ukrainian local government, a network of institutions is created, which enables citizens’ participation in local government. The features of cooperation of large French cities communities (Municipalities Regions) with special status consisting of the city and surrounding settlements and attempts to introduce this experience in Ukrainian cities are emphasized. That, along with the classical French practice of inter-municipal structures, remains very relevant and effective. Prominent examples are «Great Lyon», «Great Bordeaux», «Great Lille» and «Inter-municipal formation of Strasbourg», which are acting on the basis of subsidiary without violating the principle of power deconcentration. Their union has a purely socio-economic implication, because it serves as an attempt to better coordination of economic and production processes within established industrial agglomerations. The similarities of initial conditions in the administrative structure of national practice and the one existing in the reformed system of administrative and territorial division of France, where there is also three-level territorial entities in a unitary country with a lot of separated and minority communities (communes), as well as differences in the especially important functional and qualitative managerial staffing in both countries are defined. The feasibility to implement in practice of administrative and territorial division of Ukraine of the best achievements of the French model of territories management including the practice of implementation on the regional level of the institution to monitor the activities of communes and general management of peripheral government services, and to act as an intermediary between peripheral services and their ministries and individual communities are highlighted. As a result the fact that experience of administrative and territorial division of France, particularly of local government in this country, is extremely indicative for Ukraine not only because of the identity of certain levels of municipalities, but also because of the common strategic objectives put by the governments of both countries before the system of management areas is stressed. 

administrative and territorial division, local governance, state executive power, France, experience for Ukraine