Unit summary
- The busiest committees are the Committee on Legal Policy (44 opinions The opinions provided by this committee as the main one. submitted), the Committee on Law Enforcement (36 opinions The opinions provided by this committee as the main one. ) and the Committee on National Security (35 opinions The opinions provided by this committee as the main one. ).
- The Committee on Social Policy and the Committee on Legal Policy each have more than two draft laws and opinions The opinions provided by this committee as the main one. per MP. The workload (the number of opinions The opinions provided by this committee as the main one. provided) does not exceed 0.5 per MP in 9 committees.
- The Committee on National Security was the leader in terms of the number of meetings (as in the 10th session), with 30 meetings; it was the only committee that held more than 20 meetings in the 12th session.
During the 12th session, the Verkhovna Rada committees continued to work despite a gradual decrease in the number of registered draft laws. The total number of opinions provided decreased (from 305 in the 10th session to 292 in the 12th). The Committees on Legal Policy, Law Enforcement, and National Security had the largest workload in terms of the number of opinions provided. Despite the relatively low workload in the legislative process, some committees were actively involved in the oversight function. The uneven workload distribution between the committees, which sometimes differs by a factor of 22, raises the issue of redistribution of responsibilities or the composition of MPs and secretariat staff in the committees.
Information on the time frame for submitting committee opinions is available in the section on the speed of passage of draft laws.
Workload on committees
When considering the workload on the committees, it should be borne in mind that this monitoring calculates the workload primarily based on the number of opinions from the main committees. These methods are used due to the availability of data (open data format). Specifically, the Verkhovna Rada website constantly provides information on the opinions of the main committees, which are regularly updated and cover all opinions of the main committees. However, the committees perform many other functions and tasks in addition to providing opinions of the main committees. Three committees Budget Committee, Committee on Anti-Corruption Policy and Committee on EU Integration. are required to provide mandatory opinions on all draft laws; committees may be tasked with preparing opinions as auxiliary committees; committees consider and take decisions on the oversight function; they consider letters and appeals; hold conferences, round tables, etc. These limitations should be considered when reviewing the information below, which is based on the opinions of the main committees.
This diagram has two indicators. First, it shows the number of opinions The number of opinions does not equal the number of draft laws considered. The Committee can provide several opinions on one draft law, e.g., an opinion on its inclusion in the agenda, opinions for the first and second readings, for repeated readings, on the text of the draft law to be submitted as a substitute, etc. provided by the main committees. The second indicator is the number of draft laws assigned to each committee as the main committee in accordance with the subject of the committees’ jurisdiction. Together, they show the distribution of legislative work on the preliminary processing of draft laws.
The Committee on Legal Policy has the highest workload in terms of the number of opinions provided (44 opinions) and the highest potential workload in terms of the largest number of draft laws assigned (72 draft laws). The Committee on Law Enforcement ranks second, with 36 opinions and a potential workload of 68 draft laws. These two committees are consistently among the busiest in terms of legislative work. Three other committees also have a high workload (compared to other committees): the Committee on National Security (35 opinions), the Committee on Finance (24 opinions), and the Committee on Social Policy (20 opinions). This is a relatively standard distribution for the last six sessions of martial law (the 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th sessions).
The total number of opinions submitted decreased by 13 (from 305 in the 10th session to 292 in the 12th session). This reflects the general trend of a decrease in the number of registered draft laws (and, consequently, opinions on them).
The following committees reduced the number of opinions provided during the 12th session the most (compared to the same autumn 10th session): the Committee on Finance (-30 submitted opinions), the Committee on the Organisation of State Power (-21 submitted opinions) and the Committee on Education and Science (-14 submitted opinions).
At the same time, the number of opinions provided by some committees increased compared to the 10th session. The largest increase in the number of opinions provided (compared to the 10th session) was in the Committee on Legal Policy (+19 opinions), the Committee on Law Enforcement (+13 opinions), and the Committee on National Security (+12 opinions).
Compared to the 10th session, the volume of draft laws assigned to committees changed in the range from -25 to +30 assigned draft laws.
The potential workload (number of assigned draft laws) of the committees during the 12th session decreased the most (compared to the 10th session) for the Committee on Finance (-25 assigned draft laws) and the Committee on Budget (-15 assigned draft laws). For the Committee on Finance, these data correlate with and explain the decrease in the number of opinions provided, while the Committee on Budget increased the number of opinions provided by 1, despite the decrease in the number of registered draft laws by 15. This can be explained by the processing of draft laws registered during previous sessions.
The potential workload of the committees increased for the following three committees: the Committee on Legal Policy (+30 assigned draft laws), the Committee on Social Policy (+18 assigned draft laws) and the Committee on Humanitarian Policy (+15 assigned draft laws).
The above diagram, which shows the number of opinions or registered draft laws per MP – committee member The number of MPs in the committees changed at the end of the 12th session and during the 12th session. – also measures the workload on the committees. Two committees have a heavy workload (the number of both draft laws assigned and opinions submitted exceeds 2 per MP), namely the Committee on Social Policy (4.1 draft laws per MP and 2 opinions per MP) and the Committee on Legal Policy (4 draft laws and 2.44 opinions per MP). Three other committees have a workload of more than 1.5 opinions per MP. These are the Committee on Law Enforcement, the Committee on National Security and the Committee on Digital Transformation. For most committees, the absolute workload (the number of opinions provided) correlates with the workload per MP committee member.
The number of opinions provided per MP did not reach 0.5 in nine committees (and this value did not reach 0.5 in nine committees in the 10th session either). The lowest number of opinions per MP is in the Committee on the Organisation of State Power (0.11 opinions per MP), the Committee on Anti-Corruption Policy (0.18 opinions per MP) and the Committee on the Rules of Procedure (0.2 opinions per MP).
The 12th session and the similar 10th session have no significant difference in workload, as the difference in the number of opinions provided per MP ranges from -1.27 to +1.13. The number of assigned draft laws fluctuated a little more, ranging from -1.10 to +2.
The actual workload (i.e., the number of opinions provided per MP) decreased the most for the Committee on Education (-1.27 opinions provided per MP) and the Committee on Anti-Corruption Policy (-1 opinion provided per MP). The Committee on Legal Policy saw the largest increase in its actual workload (+1.13 opinions per MP).
The potential workload decreased the most (compared to the 10th session) in the Committee on the Rules of Procedure (-1.10 assigned draft laws per MP). On the other hand, the potential workload of the Committee on Social Policy increased the most (+2.01 assigned draft laws per MP) and the Committee on Legal Policy (+1.79 assigned draft laws per MP).
The trends in the actual and potential workload per committee member are generally consistent with the data on committee workloads.
If we compare the least and most busy committees, their workload differs by a factor of 22. This situation in the 12th session, as well as certain trends in the workload of committees that shift from session to session, make the issue of redistributing either MPs or areas of jurisdiction among committees relevant.
The Committee on Law Enforcement (3.27 opinions per employee) and the Committee on National Security (3.18 opinions per employee) have a heavy workload Data as of the beginning of February 2025 were used to calculate the number of committee secretariat staff members. (the number of opinions provided exceeds 3 per employee). There was only one such committee in the 10th session. In most committees, the absolute workload (number of opinions provided) correlates with the workload per secretariat staff member.
The number of opinions provided does not reach 0.5 (opinions) per secretariat staff member in three committees. These are the Committee on the Rules of Procedure (0.15 opinions per employee), the Committee on the Organisation of State Power (0.15 opinions per employee) and the Committee on Anti-Corruption Policy Along with its workload as the main committee, the Committee on Anti-Corruption is one of the three “mandatory committees” and, therefore, has a heavy workload in this regard. (0.25 opinions per employee).
The biggest decrease in the actual workload (number of opinions provided per secretariat staff member) during the 12th session (compared to the 10th session) was in the Committee on Education (-1.82 opinions provided per secretariat staff member) and the Committee on Finance (-1.59 opinions provided per secretariat staff member). The Committee on Law Enforcement (+1.36 opinions per 1 secretariat staff member) and the Committee on Legal Policy (+1.2 opinions per secretariat staff member) saw the largest increase in the actual workload.
When comparing the potential workload (number of assigned draft laws per secretariat staff member) during the 12th and the 10th sessions, the Committee on Foreign Policy showed the strongest decrease in the potential workload (-1.5 draft laws per secretariat staff member). The Committee on Legal Policy (+1.9 assigned draft laws per secretariat staff member) and the Committee on Social Policy (+1.58 assigned draft laws per 1 secretariat staff member) saw the largest increase in the potential workload.
When considering quantitative indicators of the committees’ work, it is worth remembering the mandatory opinions of the auxiliary committees. The Committee on Ukraine’s Integration into the EU, the Budget Committee, and the Committee on Anti-Corruption Policy have relatively low workloads compared to the main committees, but they are required to provide their mandatory opinions on all other draft laws, which requires significant resources.
The diagram below shows the number of committee meetings and the average number of opinions of the main committees per meeting, helping you better understand the specifics of the VRU committees’ work.
Only one committee held more than 20 meetings in the 12th session, namely the Committee on National Security (this committee was also the leader in terms of the number of meetings in the 10th session). In addition, five other committees held 15 or more meetings. Seven committees held less than 10 meetings in the course of the 12th session. All indicators are almost the same as in the previous winter session.
The Committee on Legal Policy is the leader in terms of the number of opinions per meeting (3.38 opinions per meeting). The Finance Committee also has close indicators – 3 conclusions per 1 meeting. Overall, only these two committees adopted more than two opinions per meeting. Fifteen committees (65% of all committees) adopted less than one opinion per meeting, compared to 10 for the 11th session and 11 for the 10th session.
The workload of the parliamentary committees can also be viewed through the prism of other functions and documents prepared by these committees.
The table below shows preliminary opinions on draft laws for the main committee, which allow us to see, inter alia, the workload of three mandatory committees: the Committee on Anti-Corruption Policy, the Committee on Budget, and the Committee on Ukraine’s Integration into the European Union. It is these committees that are required to provide their opinions We are discussing opinions on compliance with the requirements of anti-corruption legislation, budget legislation, and obligations related to European integration. on all draft laws. This function may sometimes require more resources than their opinions as the main committees.
According to the data, the Committee on Humanitarian Policy (18 issues under control), the Committee on Law Enforcement (17 issues under control) and the Committee on Freedom of Speech (17 issues under control) are the most active in monitoring the implementation of laws and resolutions. Together with the data on the workload of the legislative process, these data show that the committees compensate for the relatively lower workload by more actively exercising their oversight function. Some of the committees can be called oversight committees, or at least committees with a priority oversight function. For example, the Committee on Freedom of Speech issued only 3 opinions as the main committee (even this is a high figure compared to other sessions), but it is one of the most active committees in terms of exercising its oversight function. It is worth noting the high workload of the Committees on Legal Policy and National Security, which have one of the highest indicators of the workload per MP and also have one of the highest oversight workloads.
| Committee | Committee meetings held total |
Committee meetings held incl. off-site |
Issues considered at committee meetings total | Issues considered at committee meetings incl. on oversight of laws and resolutions | Preliminary opinions provided on draft laws to the main committee |
| Committee on Agrarian and Land Policy | 8 | 0 | 30 | 1 | 1 |
| Committee on Anti-Corruption Policy | 8 | 0 | 56 | 0 | 24 |
| Budget Committee | 15 | 0 | 226 | 8 | 197 |
| Committee on Humanitarian and Information Policy | 11 | 2 | 45 | 18 | 4 |
| Committee on Environmental Policy and Nature Management | 11 | 0 | 35 | 5 | 12 |
| Committee on Economic Development | 19 | 0 | 54 | 5 | 1 |
| Committee on Energy, Housing and Utilities | 12 | 1 | 52 | 14 | 4 |
| Committee on National Health, Healthcare and Insurance | 11 | 0 | 37 | 12 | 4 |
| Committee on Foreign Policy and Interparliamentary Cooperation | 13 | 0 | 37 | 8 | 1 |
| Committee on Ukraine’s Integration into the European Union | 14 | 0 | 224 | 6 | 237 |
| Committee on Youth and Sports | 7 | 0 | 35 | 5 | 10 |
| Committee on National Security, Defence and Intelligence | 30 | 0 | 88 | 14 | 1 |
| Committee on the Organisation of State Power, Local Self-Government, Regional Development and Urban Planning | 6 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 1 |
| Committee on Education, Science and Innovation | 9 | 0 | 48 | 12 | 17 |
| Committee on Human Rights, Deoccupation and Reintegration of Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine, National Minorities and Interethnic Relations | 11 | 0 | 39 | 1 | 16 |
| Committee on Legal Policy | 13 | 1 | 62 | 0 | 1 |
| Committee on Law Enforcement | 19 | 0 | 60 | 17 | 0 |
| Committee on Rules of Procedure, Parliamentary Ethics and Support to the Work of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine | 19 | 0 | 93 | 1 | 8 |
| Committee on Freedom of Speech | 9 | 0 | 54 | 17 | 14 |
| Committee on Social Policy and Protection of Veterans’ Rights | 15 | 0 | 55 | 3 | 7 |
| Committee on Transport and Infrastructure | 11 | 0 | 46 | 7 | 12 |
| Committee on Finance, Taxation and Customs Policy | 8 | 0 | 29 | 2 | 0 |
| Committee on Digital Transformation | 10 | 0 | 69 | 5 | 47 |
| Total | 289 | 4 | 1491 | 161 | 619 |
Opinions on rejection
| Legislative initiative entity | Number of opinions on rejection of draft laws (percentage of the total number of opinions on rejection) |
| MPs of Ukraine | 31 (84%) |
| Government | 6 (16%) |
| President | 0 |
| Factional affiliation of draft law initiators | Number of opinions on rejection of draft laws (percentage of MPs’ opinions on rejection) |
| Servant of the People faction | 21 (68%) |
| Fatherland faction | 3 (10%) |
| Non-factional | 2 (6%) |
| European Solidarity | 2 (6%) |
| Restoration of Ukraine group | 1 (3%) |
| Opposition Platform – For Life faction | 1 (3%) |
| Dovira group | 1 (3%) |
| For the Future group | 0 (0%) |
| Holos faction | 0 (0%) |
37 opinions of the main committees on rejecting draft laws were prepared during the 12th session. Opinions on dismissal may indicate both the political loyalty of committees and the level (at least minimal) of quality of draft laws prepared. At the same time, almost half of the rejected draft laws are alternative ones (the share of rejected alternative draft laws was two-thirds in the 11th session). Presidential draft laws seem to meet both criteria, as they do not have any opinions on dismissal (however, it should be remembered that there were few presidential draft laws, and these are often ratifications and decrees). Governmental draft laws appear to be mostly problem-free; only six have received an opinion on dismissal. However, it is worth noting that this is twice as many as in the 11th session when more draft laws were registered. Draft laws submitted by members of the Servant of the People faction received the most opinions on dismissal, which is logical given the number of MPs and their legislative activity.
