A new draft law aimed at radically tightening the norms for the use of the Ukrainian language has been registered in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. The document, which could fundamentally change the linguistic situation in the country, provides for amendments to 22 laws at once. The registration of the project took place on July 15, and now it enters the stage of consideration by parliament.

To come into force, the document must pass all readings in the Rada and receive the President's signature. The initiators of the project state that its goal is to strengthen the legal mechanisms for the functioning of the state language and eliminate existing gaps in legislation.

New requirements and powers

The essence of the draft law lies in the direct enshrinement in the language law of the mandatory requirement to master the state language for certain categories of citizens. In particular, this refers to persons performing official duties.

The document also redistributes responsibility at the local level. Local councils are proposed to be entrusted with the powers to create conditions for the development of the Ukrainian language in the relevant territories and to assist in its popularization. At the same time, local state administrations will be obliged to promote the development of the languages of indigenous peoples and national minorities.

Tightening of sanctions and fines

One of the most controversial points of the document is the review of the procedure for considering complaints and the increase in fines for violations. The Commissioner for the Protection of the State Language will receive new leverage to influence violators.

The following scale of penalties is proposed:

  • For the first violation: a warning or a fine ranging from 6,800 to 17,000 hryvnias.
  • For a repeat violation within a year: a fine from 20,400 to 25,500 hryvnias.

Context: rise in violations

The initiative to tighten control appears against the backdrop of statistics recording a rise in violations of language legislation. This year alone, more than a hundred cases of violation of the law in the field of advertising have been recorded. Kharkiv and Dnipro became the leaders in the number of violations.

Earlier, the language ombudsman Elena Ivanovska pointed out in an interview the existence of gaps in the current legislation, which, according to experts, became the catalyst for the introduction of this draft law.