committed, the police were cooperating with the armed groups and some of the same people are still police officers. Therefore it seems unlikely that any action will be taken concerning these investigations. In addition, there are concerns about reprisals, particularly against family members of the former detainees who might still reside in the east. Some cases have not even been registered in the unified registry of pre-trial investigation. V. LEGISLATIVE DEVELOPMENTS AND INSTITUTIONAL REFORMS On 23 July, the President created a National Reform Council to spearhead the national reform process. While there were no developments in amending the constitution, the lustration commission for judges has started vetting requests and a draft law on lustration had its first reading in Parliament. During the reporting period, Parliament adopted several pieces of legislation relating to the security operation in the east, which expands the powers of law enforcement agencies in “counter-terrorist operation area”, and thus imposing restrictions on human rights. In Lviv, a pilot project on police reform that was launched on 1 July has begun work. Changes to the legislative framework Constitutional amendments So far Parliament has not considered the draft law144 introduced by the President on 2 July to amend the Constitution of Ukraine. As noted in the previous report, the proposed amendments foresee the decentralization of power as well as enhanced protection of minority rights, particularly linguistic minority rights, among other issues. The draft law was submitted for review to the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe in early July. The Venice Commission was expected to present its opinion on these amendments by the end of August but this was postponed. A review of the draft law has been included in the agenda of the 100th Plenary Session of the Venice Commission, which will take place on 10-11 October 2014. National Reform Council The President created a statutory framework for reform on 13 August detailing the mandate and functions of three bodies: the National Reform Council (NRC)145, an Executive Committee and an Advisory Council for Reforms. The Executive Committee will be responsible for strategic planning, harmonizing the implementation of reforms and monitoring their implementation. It is currently preparing a strategic plan for the sustainable development of Ukraine until 2020, which it is to submit to the NRC by 23 October. The Advisory Council will ensure that reforms being proposed are based on best international practices and will promote their implementation. Along with the President, other members of the NRC include the Speaker of Parliament, the Prime Minister and other members of the Cabinet, the Head of the National Bank of Ukraine, the heads of the Committees of Parliament, four representatives of NGOs, and one representative of the Advisory Council. The NRC is to coordinate the activities of ministries and government agencies in formulating and implementing reforms. It is foreseen that a special donors’ committee will be established within the NRC to fundraise and manage funds provided in support of reforms. Legislation B. 144 145 No. 4178a The National Reform Council will be chaired by the President. 215 | P a g e