Legal Overview: Draft Law No. 14282 Proposes "Reboot" of NEURC and Decisive Vote for International Experts

08.01.2026

Draft Law No. 14282, “On Amendments to Certain Laws of Ukraine Regarding Strengthening Guarantees for the Exercise of Powers by the NEURC,” has been registered in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. The document was initiated by a group of MPs led by Andriy Zhupanyn of the Committee on Energy, Housing, and Utilities Services.

Energy Club has analyzed the text of the document and the explanatory note. We present the key highlights essential for market participants.

Context: Why Now?

The draft law was developed to fulfill Ukraine’s direct obligations under the Treaty establishing the Energy Community and the EU negotiation process. As stated in the explanatory note, the European Commission and the Energy Community Secretariat have pointed out the need to strengthen the Regulator’s independence. The draft law aims to meet these requirements, ensure the Commission’s financial autonomy, and reform the appointment procedure for its members.

Key Innovations of Draft Law No. 14282

1. Complete Rotation of Current Members

The draft law provides for the early termination of powers for all current members of the NEURC within one year of the law’s entry into force. The proposed “cleansing” schedule is as follows:

• 3 members dismissed no later than 6 months;
• 2 members dismissed no later than 9 months;
• 2 members dismissed no later than 12 months.

Consequently, the Regulator’s composition will be fully renewed by 2027.

2. Selection Committee: Decisive Vote for International Partners

The approach to forming the Selection Committee, which elects NEURC members, is changing.

• Composition (3+3): 3 representatives from the government (2 from the relevant VRU Committee, 1 from the Ministry of Energy) and 3 representatives from the Cabinet of Ministers, based on proposals from the European Commission and the Energy Community Secretariat.
• Anti-deadlock Mechanism: If the Committee cannot reach a decision (3-3 tie), a repeat vote is held after 24 hours. In this case, the decision is considered adopted if at least 3 members vote in favor, provided that at least two of them are international experts. This effectively grants international partners a decisive vote in disputed situations.

3. Financial Independence and Salaries

The draft law exempts NEURC staff salaries from the restrictions of civil service legislation and links them to the subsistence level (SL) as of January 1:

• Chairman of NEURC—75 SL;
• Member of NEURC–60 SL.

Furthermore, the Ministry of Finance and the Government are prohibited from independently reducing the Regulator’s budget request or amending its estimates without the Commission’s consent.

4. External Audit and Accountability

A mechanism for an independent external evaluation of the Regulator’s performance is introduced, to be conducted by the Energy Community Secretariat at least once every 3 years. The report must be made public.

5. New Inspection Rules

Grounds and procedures for scheduled and unscheduled inspections (both on-site and off-site) are clarified. Specifically, it is stipulated that grounds for an unscheduled inspection may include verifying compliance with the Regulator’s decisions or the accuracy of reporting data.

Summary for Business:

Draft Law No. 14282 appears to be a “hard” reform scenario focused on maximum integration with European institutions.

Positive: Reduction of political influence from Ukrainian authorities on the Regulator due to the role of international experts in selection and financial autonomy.

Risk: The rotation period (the first 12 months after adoption) may create some turbulence in decision-making while outgoing members depart and new ones are yet to be appointed.

Tomorrow, we will publish a review of the alternative draft law to compare the legislative approaches to the future of the market.