The Venice Commission recommends revising or clarifying a number of provisions of the law “On National Minorities (Communities)”, in particular removing the obligation to translate information about public events into Ukrainian or at least revising it based on the principle of proportionality.
“From the text of the conclusion: the Venice Commission “appreciates the desire of the Ukrainian authorities to take into account international and European standards for minority protection, as well as – albeit to a limited extent – some of the criticisms expressed by the Commission in previous conclusions.” – The press service of the Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Olga Stefanishina said in a statement.
It is noted that at the same time, the Venice Commission recommends revising or clarifying a number of provisions of the law “On national minorities (communities)”.
In particular, it is recommended: to extend the right to organize events in minority languages to all persons; to remove the obligation to provide translation of information on public events into Ukrainian or at least revise it in light of the principle of proportionality; to review the obligations related to publishing books in minority languages and bookstores; to provide greater legal certainty regarding the possibility to translate official inscriptions and general information into the minority language.
In addition, it is recommended to provide in the law criteria for the adoption of a methodology to ensure the use of minority languages in contacts with administrative authorities in accordance with the norms of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities and Ukraine’s obligations under the European Charter for Regional Languages.
Ukrainian companies in January-May this year increased the export of scrap ferrous metals in 3.1 times compared to the same period last year – up to 77.452 thousand tons.
According to statistics released by the State Customs Service (SCS), the export of scrap metal for the period amounted to $23.028 million in monetary terms.
However, in March, April and May, there was an increase in exports of scrap metal: if about 8.28 thousand tons of scrap metal was exported in January and 16.5 thousand tons – in February, then in March – 15.45 thousand tons, April – about 16.19 thousand tons and May – 21.003 tons.
Exports of scrap metal in January-May 2023 was carried out in Poland (89.55%), Greece (7.51%) and the Netherlands (0.99%).
In the first two months of the year, the country did not import scrap metal, and in March-May imported 344 tons of scrap metal worth $138 thousand (41.30% from Slovakia, 18.12% from Poland and 13.77% from Estonia).
Earlier, the president of Ukrmetallurgprom Oleksandr Kalenkov wrote in his column on Interfax-Ukraine website that scrap metal is exported via the European Union, where a preferential export duty of EUR3 per ton operates, and from there the raw material is redirected to actual customers. To export scrap metal straight to customers would cost EUR 180 export duties and the Ukrainian budget has already lost 350 million hryvnias on it.
According to him, the State Bureau of Investigation has already taken interest in such export schemes.
The head of “Ukrmetallurgprom” urged to temporarily ban the export of scrap ferrous metals to provide the strategically important raw materials in the ongoing war.
“If scrap metal will remain in the country – more than 500 thousand people will have jobs, and the country will have millions of foreign exchange earnings from the export of steel. At the same time, the military also benefits, because metallurgists help the fighters a lot by buying equipment and cars for them, and even producing body armor. Nobody benefits from the export of scrap metal. That is why now the authorities should be proactive and temporarily ban the export until the situation stabilizes and stops threatening the national economic security,” says Kalenkov.
He noted that a ton of scrap metal, processed into steel, provides 10 times more to the budget than the export duty in the EU – about $300 per ton.
As reported, Ukraine in 2022, reduced exports of scrap ferrous metals in 11.5 times compared to the previous year – up to 53.557 tons, in monetary terms down to 12.4 times – to $ 19.271 million. At the same time last year, the country reduced the import of scrap metal in kind by 12.6 times – to 1.824 tons. Imports of scrap metal in 2022 was carried out mainly from Turkey (78.92% of supplies in monetary terms), Russia (13.25%) and Cyprus (5.08%), while exports – to Turkey (38.97%), Poland (34.25%) and Greece (10.12%).
Ukraine in January-May of this year increased the export of pig iron in physical terms by 23.8% compared to the same period last year – up to 630.349 thousand tons.
According to statistics released by the State Customs Service (SCS), exports of pig iron in monetary terms amounted to $243.888 million for the period.
At that, exports were carried out mainly to Poland (63.76% of deliveries in money terms), Spain (13.39%) and Czech Republic (10.3%).
During these five months, Ukraine imported 37 tons of cast iron worth $52 thousand from Germany (61.54%) and Brazil (38.46%).
As reported, Ukraine in 2022, Ukraine reduced the export of pig iron in volume terms by 59% compared to the previous year – to 1 million 325.275 thousand tons, in monetary terms by 61.1% – to $638.774 million.
In 2022, Ukraine imported 40 tons of cast iron worth $23 thousand, while in 2021 – 185 tons of cast iron worth $226 thousand.
Exports were mainly to the United States (38.47% of supplies in monetary terms), Poland (32.91%) and Turkey (8.12%), and imports were from Germany (100%).
Corteva Agriscience, an international agricultural research company, increased its exports of Pioneer brand corn seed to the EU 16-fold in 2023 through established channels in Romania and Hungary, according to its press release.
According to it, the company was able to achieve a 15 percent increase in yields of Pioneer’s advanced seed hybrids last year through the introduction of precision farming, irrigation and other advanced approaches.
“For ten years we have been developing seed production in Ukraine, because for Corteva Agriscience our country is one of the major players in the global agricultural market, which has a significant impact on global food security,” – quoted the press service of the regional head of seed production Corteva Agriscience Andrey Andriushko.
He said that amid the war the company continues to invest in the production seed complex and support the communities of the region. For example, last year Corteva Agriscience signed a declaration with the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine on deepening and further developing cooperation for food security in Ukraine and the world, which resulted in increasing the production capacity of the seed complex in Stasi village, Poltava region, officially opened in June 2013 and investments of over $56 million. Its annual capacity has reached about 500 thousand seed units of corn and 250 thousand seed units.
According to the company, Corteva is one of the largest taxpayers in the region. The total number of employees, including seasonal workers, reaches nearly 400.
According to the press release, Corteva has invested about UAH 4.6 million in the development of Stasi village since 2013 (to improve infrastructure, medicine, education and social life of the community, in particular, it financed the reconstruction of a bomb shelter for 800 people.
Corteva Agriscience is a global agricultural company. It offers agricultural producers comprehensive solutions to maximize crop yields and profitability. It has more than 150 research facilities and more than 65 active substances in its portfolio.
Its representative office in Ukraine includes a central office in Kiev, a research center in Lyubartsy village (Kiev region) and a seed production complex opened in 2013 in Stasi village (Poltava region). Investments in the plant over five years amounted to more than $56 mln.
In April 2022, the company decided to leave the Russian market due to the full-scale war unleashed by Russia against Ukraine.
ABH Holdings S.A.’s (ABHH) non-binding agreement with an international investor to sell 75.6% of Sense Bank (Kiev, formerly Alfa-Bank) implies a sale price of $1.
“The proposed transaction value in acquiring all 75.6% of Sense Bank is a nominal amount equivalent to $1,” the holding said on its website Monday.
ABHH reiterates that the proposed sale of the Ukrainian bank to an international investor does not include any payments to sanctioned shareholders.
“On April 26, 2022, the Board of Directors of ABHH decided not to declare, pay or provide any dividends, distributions or any other funds to its sanctioned shareholders,” the release states.
According to it, the main purpose of the search for an investor to whom control of Sense Bank could be transferred is to reduce the share of the sanctioned ultimate beneficial owners to a level that would meet the requirements of Ukraine.
ABHH recalls that in the autumn of 2022 a shareholders’ letter was sent to the National Bank of Ukraine stating its willingness to transfer the bank to state ownership free of charge and voluntarily in case of such a decision by the regulators, but since no response to this letter was received, ABHH continued its search for an experienced and reliable investor.
As of the beginning of May this year Sense Bank ranked 10th among 65 operating banks in Ukraine with assets of 97.19 bln hryvnia.
The controlling stake in the bank is owned by sub-sanctioned Russians Andrei Kosogov, Mikhail Fridman and Pyotr Aven, although the minority shareholders in ABH Holdings S.A. are Unicredit S.p.a. – 9.9% and The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research – 3.8736%.
Back in April 2022, the NBU appointed former Bulgarian Finance Minister Simeon Dyankov as a proxy, to whom was given the right to vote on the shares indirectly owned by the sub-sanctioned owners of Sense Bank (a total of 88.2264%), as well as the right to participate in the management of the bank.
At the end of May, the Verkhovna Rada passed a law that envisages nationalization of Sense Bank as a systemic bank on the basis of the presence of subsanctioned persons among its main shareholders. The law was sent to the president for signature on June 5 and has not yet entered into force. According to ABHH, the law implies a complicated nationalization procedure and creates legal risks for future investors, while leaving the bank in private ownership by selling its shares would be a better solution.
According to the agency, the investor is one of Poland’s richest men, Zygmunt Solozh, co-owner of Grupa Polsat Plus corporation. This week, the publication Ekonomika Pravda reported that documents to the National Bank filed Cypriot Karswell Ltd, the nominal owner of 43.75% of the shares of the Polish bank Plus Bank SA.
The NBU in its communications until today did not admit the possibility of agreeing a deal on the sale of the bank.
KYIV. June 9 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The actual selling price of crude oil and condensate used in determining the fee for subsoil use in May 2023 amounted to UAH 14,158 per tonne, which is 8.7% less than in April (UAH 15,515 per tonne).
The relevant data is published on the website of the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine.
As reported, in January 2023, the actual selling price was UAH 13,297 per tonne, in February – UAH 13,251 per tonne, in March UAH 12,522 per tonne and in April UAH 15,515 per tonne.
