Ukrainian Publishers and Booksellers Association. General information

Ukrainian Publishers and Booksellers Association was registered By the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine on June 17, 1994 as Ukrainian association non-state publishing houses, reregistered in 1996 as Ukrainian association of publishers, and in 2000 – once more, as Ukrainian Publishers and Booksellers Association. 

Currently it unites almost 130 juridical persons – major publishing houses and distribution companies of all forms of ownership.

The main goal and purpose of the Association is creation of favorable conditions for Ukrainian publishing parties for their active operation in providing the population with national spiritual and materialistic products, increasing the part of Ukrainian book in formation of self-consciousness of the Ukrainian nation.

From the first days of its activity the Association concentrated on creation of legislative and normative field that would be up-to-level of civilized European countries in terms of legislative support of book publishing business. In particular, it concentrated on establishment of special taxation norms for all operations connected to publishing preparations, manufacture and distribution of native books for publishing enterprises of Ukraine. Taking in consideration the fact that at the moment of foundation of the Association, unlike in European countries, the book as a piece of art wasn’t excluded from general taxation system for all manufactured goods and carried the burden of all taxes that were valid in Ukraine at that time, main goal of association had become changing of taxation legislation concerning the book.

Following Laws of Ukraine were changed during the existence of Association with its initiative and active lobbying efforts:

•  “About publishing business” (June, 1997) article 6 was passed, which established privileged taxation for publishing houses that published 70% or more of their editions in Ukrainian. Nevertheless, this article didn’t take effect since it wasn’t developed on time in special tax laws. 
•  “About added value tax” (October, 1997) paragraph 5.1.2 passed, which allowed sales of native book products without AVT payment.
• “About income tax of enterprises” (May, 2001) paragraph 7.13.7 passed, which freed publishing houses and organizations, printing and book-selling enterprises from tax on income gained from publishing, manufacture and sales of native books.

With initiative and direct participation of the Association a full-featured Law of Ukraine “About the State support of book publishing business in Ukraine” was prepared (March, 2003), which came into effect on July 1, 2004 after a harsh argument with the executive power. This Law grants privileges to all native participants of the book publishing process on all main taxes that are applied to all enterprises in Ukraine.

Above that, the Association is the author and initiator of three Presidential Decrees (1998, 2000 and 2006), majority of legislative normative acts that regulate activity of publishing parties and are aimed at the improvement of the situation in the national book publishing industry.

In 2006 the Association became the developer of the “Scheme of problems of book publishing and library business in Ukraine.” The text of this document was used as basis for “measures to support development of native book publishing and distribution” prepared by the Interdepartmental committee of Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine.

During the whole period of its existence the Association actively protected its members – publishing houses and book-selling enterprises – when collisions between them and state officials had occurred, in the center or locally, and in questions connected to rent problems, illegal acts of tax administrations, and other events that prevented them from effective work.

During this time dozens of book stores were protected and prevented from dispossession even with help of juridical instances, numerous questions about removing arrogations and financial sanctions put on by tax administrations on particular parties of publishing business were solved.

The Association participated in organizing national book forums: Lviv Publishers’ Forum, “The World of the Book” Kharkiv festival, “The Book World” International book exhibition, “Days of Ukrainian book in Odessa Region” forum. Support of activities like book exhibitions has always been one of the priorities in the Association’s goal list. The Association itself is a constant participant of international book exhibitions in London, Paris, Leipzig, Frankfurt, Warsaw, etc., which proves that Ukrainian Book does exist regardless of all problems and difficulties. With the Association’s initiative and organizational support in 2003 for the first time in the history of Independent Ukraine official Ukrainian Stand was organized Frankfurt Book Fair.

Representatives of the Association took part in more than 20 international conferences regarding European and world book legislation, book’s role in society, problems of operation of publishing organizations. In particular, representatives of the Association were co-developers of final documents of Warsaw (1996) conference of European Council, “Legislation in the world of book”.

The Association organized and conducted international conference in Ukraine on the topic: “Legislation in the world of book: realization of recommendations of Warsaw conference of European Council in Ukraine” (1997).

The Association actively collaborates with higher education establishments of Ukraine that prepare specialists of the publishing industry, in particular with Lviv Academy of Printing, Printing department of National Technical University “KPI”, Kyiv University of arts and humanities, and Kyiv Mohyla Academy.

Currently the Association is one of the most influential public organizations in Ukraine that represents interests of publishing parties in central legislation and executive administrations and on the local level in most oblasts of Ukraine. It can be an organizer or intermediate party in relations in both political and business questions between the members of the Associations and their foreign colleagues and partners. The Association initiated preparation and realization of two international projects: “Education of human resources for publishing industry in Ukraine” and “Creation of electronic media-resource library in Ukraine”, which received grants ТЕMPUS-ТАСІS (total of more than EUR 1 million). The first one of these projects is already realized.

Management board of the Association maintains constant business relations with numerous embassies of European countries and with their cultural and humanitarian institutions registered in Ukraine, in particular with Goethe’s Institute, British Council, French Cultural Centre and others.

Ukrainian Publishers and Booksellers Association
Address: Ukraine, 01001, Kyiv, Tryohsvyatytelska St. 4, room 526
Tel: (044) 279-45-75, Tel/fax (044) 278-64-44
E-mail: [email protected]
The President – Oleksandr Vasilyovich Afonin