95% reservation for the defense industry and energy sector, plus a coordination center — changes to the reservation system explained
Kyiv • UNN
The Cabinet of Ministers has reduced the reservation limit for defense and fuel and energy enterprises to 95%. A Coordination Center has also been established.
The Cabinet reduced the booking reservation quota at defense and energy enterprises to 95% and created a Coordination Center for organizing reservations. The changes were explained by the Ministry of Economy on October 24, UNN reports.
Details
According to reports, at its meeting on October 23, the government created a Coordination Center for organizing reservations, clarified the definition of critical importance, and initiated a review of sectoral and regional criteria for critical importance, taking into account the new requirements. In addition, the government updated the maximum reservation limits for certain categories of enterprises.
"The decision is aimed at ensuring a balance between the needs of the Defense Forces and the stable operation of the economy, critical infrastructure, and enterprises on which the population’s life support depends. The main principle remains unchanged: reservations must ensure the retention of employees without whom an enterprise cannot perform functions that are critically important to the state," the Ministry of Economy explained.
Critical importance and review of criteria
The government’s decision clarified the definition of critical importance. In this regard, central executive authorities and regional military administrations must review sectoral and regional criteria for critical importance, taking the definition into account, within 10 days from the date the amendments enter into force. The updated criteria are approved by the Coordination Center.
Reviewing the criteria is a standard procedure regularly carried out by the relevant authorities. It is not equivalent to an automatic review of the statuses of all enterprises. Enterprises previously recognized as critical under criteria that will not be changed following the review—usually, the vast majority of such enterprises—will retain their status as critically important.
Maximum reservation limits
The government reviewed the maximum reservation limits for enterprises in the fuel and energy and defense-industrial sectors—to up to 95% of liable-for-military-service employees
These figures, as noted, define the permissible reservation limits for the relevant categories of enterprises.
"The reduction in the maximum limits should not affect critically important personnel: employees who directly ensure the production process, the fulfillment of defense contracts, operational, repair, and emergency restoration work must be reserved in full. The head of an enterprise independently determines whom to reserve within the quota, so the reduction primarily concerns support and service personnel. We emphasize that citizens who have deferments on other grounds, including parents of many children, guardians, and others, are counted toward the quota when calculating the maximum percentage of reserved employees," the Ministry of Economy stressed.
Coordination Center for organizing reservations
The Coordination Center for organizing reservations is a temporary advisory and consultative body of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. Representatives of authorities responsible for the economy, defense, security, humanitarian policy, and the functioning of critical infrastructure will be involved in its work. The co-chairs of the Coordination Center are the deputy minister of economy and the environment and the deputy minister of defense.
The Center’s main tasks, as stated, include:
- coordinating sectoral and regional criteria for critical importance and providing recommendations for their refinement;
- considering appeals from state authorities concerning the designation of enterprises as critically important;
- providing recommendations on revoking the status of a critically important enterprise, including when grounds have been provided by law enforcement authorities;
- approving an increase in reservation volumes above 50%.
The Regulation on the Center establishes clear procedures for the work of this advisory and consultative body. In particular, it sets strict deadlines for considering appeals from government authorities—no more than one month. If there is a substantiated need, a state authority may request expedited consideration of an appeal. In such a case, the Coordination Center provides its proposals and recommendations within no more than seven working days from the date it receives the appeal.
The decision to designate enterprises as critical remains within the competence of the authorized state bodies. At the same time, the proposals of the Coordination Center are subject to review by central executive bodies and regional military administrations.
Currently, in accordance with the legislation, an increase in the scope of reservations for conscripts who meet the criteria is approved by the Interagency Working Group, chaired by the Minister of Defense, while sectoral and regional criteria are established by government authorities in coordination with the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Economy.