У статті розглянуто адміністративно-територіальну реформу в аспекті децентралізації влади
в Україні. Проведено теоретичний аналіз термінологічного апарату. Автор визначив ключові засади
успішного втілення адміністративно-територіальних перетворень. Особливу увагу приділено досвіду
Польщі у сфері реалізації адміністративно-територіальної реформи.
The article reviews the administrative territorial reform in Ukraine in terms of decentralization of power.
Nowadays, the European Union declares the decentralization as progressive means of administrative division
and the system of public authorities. Undoubtedly, the idea of decentralization is connected with administrative
divisions. The paper presents a theoretical analysis of terminological apparatus. It shows that there are
some contradictions with the concepts of administrative divisions. It should be admitted that there are a lot of
сomplicated aspects which are associated with the administrative territorial division in Ukraine, such as an
unordered hierarchical structure of administrative units, fragmentation of administrative units at their basic
level, etcetera. The author has identified the key principles of successful implementation of administrative-territorial
transformation. It should be noted here that the government of Ukraine cannot ignore the principle of
goodwill while combining local communities. Secondly, the article reveals that the legal framework is in need
of improvement. Thirdly, the principle of rationality must be considered while joining the public and local authorities.
Fourthly, the government should implement a pilot project of combining local communities. The author
pays attention to Poland’s experience in implementing the administrative territorial reform in Ukraine.
