Transport accidents will be investigated by a separate National Bureau: the bill was checked for compliance with EU law
The Committee on Ukraine's Integration into the EU reviewed the draft Law on the National Bureau for the Investigation of Transport Accidents No. 13674, which defines the legal framework for the creation and operation of a permanent independent body for investigating transport accidents, its main duties regarding investigations, qualification requirements for the director, as well as provisions on oversight and accountability of the Bureau, use of investigation materials, protection of confidential information, and the procedure for providing information about accidents.
According to the Committee's conclusion, this bill, as well as the alternative draft Law on the National Bureau for Transport Investigations (No. 13674-1), do not contradict the Association Agreement and Ukraine's international legal obligations but require revision taking into account the provisions of Directive (EU) 2016/798 and Regulation (EU) No 996/2010.
Earlier, "Judicial and Legal Newspaper" reported that Ukraine plans to create the National Bureau for the Investigation of Transport Accidents as a single body responsible for investigating incidents across various modes of transport.
Its powers will include investigating accidents in road transport (except cases involving military vehicles), urban electric transport (excluding the metro), maritime and inland water transport (except incidents involving vessels under the Ukrainian naval flag), as well as in the aviation sector (except events involving state and foreign military aircraft) and rail transport.
The Bureau will also classify and record accidents according to approved investigation procedures for each type of transport and analyze the causes of accidents during and based on the results of investigations.
The head of the National Bureau and their deputies must be Ukrainian citizens aged 35 or older, fluent in the state language, hold a master's degree in the field of transport, have at least 10 years of professional experience in the sector, and at least 5 years of experience in managerial positions in state bodies, institutions, or organizations. Proficiency in one of the official languages of the Council of Europe is also mandatory.
Employment at the National Bureau will be exclusively competitive — hiring without a competitive selection process will be prohibited.
Employees directly involved in accident investigations will undergo mandatory retraining or professional development every two years, including abroad.
It is separately stipulated that employees without prior experience in accident investigation will undergo mandatory internship and practical experience acquisition at the National Bureau for one year after appointment.
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