Veterans will have leases and permits for small architectural forms automatically extended without auctions: who will receive benefits

The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine has taken the first step towards strengthening the protection of veteran entrepreneurship under martial law. The Committee on State Building, Local Governance, Regional Development, and Urban Planning recommended that the parliament adopt as a basis bill No. 15047, which provides for the automatic extension of a number of permits and contracts for war veterans and certain categories of entrepreneurs.

Why the changes are necessary

The need for changes is explained by the fact that after the introduction of martial law by Presidential Decree No. 64/2022, the practice of applying legislation changed, but at the local level there were cases when local self-government bodies refused to extend the validity of temporary structure attachment passports, did not renew municipal property lease agreements, or made decisions to terminate the transfer of certain improvement objects for entrepreneurial activities.

According to the bill’s authors, such decisions contradict the approach set out in Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 314. According to it, during martial law, deadlines for applying for public services do not expire, and after its termination, they continue to run.

What changes are proposed

The bill proposes amendments to three laws at once.

To the Law of Ukraine "On Regulation of Urban Development Activities," it is proposed to add a provision that during the period of martial law and for six months after its termination or cancellation, the validity of passports for the attachment of temporary structures for entrepreneurial activities will be automatically extended.

This will apply to documents whose terms expire during martial law if they were issued to:

• war veterans;
• combatants;
• members of their families;
• members of families of deceased (dead) war veterans;
• members of families of deceased (dead) Defenders of Ukraine;
• entrepreneurs who employ at least two workers from among war veterans, combatants, or persons with disabilities due to the war.

Amendments to the Law of Ukraine "On the Improvement of Settlements" provide for the automatic extension of agreements on shared participation in the maintenance of improvement objects concluded with the specified categories of persons.

The extension will also apply for the entire period of martial law and six months after its end if the contract term expires during this period.

Another set of changes concerns the Law of Ukraine "On the Lease of State and Communal Property." If the bill is adopted, lease or temporary use agreements for communal property in certain cases will be automatically extended without auctions. This concerns objects used for:

• placement of temporary structures;
• trade, household, socio-cultural, and other purposes;
• means of mobile small retail trade networks;
• electric vehicle charging stations;
• payment devices;
• vending machines for goods and services;
• vending machines;
• post terminals.

The right to such automatic extension will be granted to the same categories of veterans, their family members, and entrepreneurs who officially employ at least two veterans or persons with disabilities due to the war.

What problem the bill aims to solve

The adoption of the law should eliminate the risk of losing business due to bureaucratic formalities, as all key documents will be subject to automatic extension without auctions.

The bill is aimed at supporting veterans, combatants, and their families engaged in entrepreneurial activities. The proposed guarantees will also apply to enterprises employing at least two veterans or persons with disabilities due to the war. Separate simplifications are provided for owners of post terminals, payment terminals, vending machines, and electric vehicle charging stations. For them, lease agreements and other permits can be automatically extended without auctions, allowing them to avoid losing business due to bureaucratic procedures.

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