In the context of the European integration course of Ukraine, issues of borrowing the European countries’ experience pertaining to the reforms in various sectors and the adoption of efficient legislation are still relevant. No exception is social welfare, which is at a qualitatively higher level in the European countries as compared to Ukraine. Therefore, Ukrainian scholars have the task of exploring the specific national features of social welfare legislation of the Federal Republic of Germany (Germany) and formulating the proposals for improvement of Ukraine’s social welfare legislation. Germany is known for its high social standards and centuries-old experience of law-making, and therefore, it is crucial that Ukraine draw on the experience of such countries.

The purpose of the article is to analyze social welfare legislation of Germany, identify its strong and weak aspects, compare German social welfare legislation with social welfare legislation of Ukraine, mark out the areas where positive experience may be borrowed, and formulate proposals for improvement of social welfare legislation of Ukraine.

The author ascertains that social welfare legislation in Germany and Ukraine are similar, since the types of social welfare benefits (except for housing allowance) applied in Germany are also typical for Ukraine, for example, we have a similar pension system. A significant advantage of the German social welfare system is its economic capabilities, which, despite the shortage of social funds, allow maintaining a consistently high social welfare level, and another advantage is codification of social welfare legislation through which the entirety of social norms is collected within a single statutory instrument.

As a conclusion, the author maintains that the social welfare experience of Germany is useful for Ukraine primarily in terms of codification of social welfare legislation. As for other areas, it should be emphasized that Ukraine is lacking financial possibilities to enhance social support of the population. The need to resolve economic problems is the main prerequisite for improving the level of social welfare in Ukraine.

Bibliography

Authored books

1. Karlin M, Finansy krain Yevropeiskoho Soiuzu [Finances of the European Union Countries] (Znannia 2011) (in Ukrainian).

Edited books

2. Kovbasiuk Yu, Systema derzhavnoho upravlinnia Federatyvnoi Respubliky Nimechchyna: dosvid dlia Ukrainy [The System of Government of the Federal Republic of Germany: Experience for Ukraine] (NADU 2010) (in Ukrainian).

Journal articles

3. Badyda A, ‘Rozvytok sotsialnoho zakonodavstva v Nimechchyni (druha polovyna XIX st.)’ [‘Development of Social Legislation in Germany (Second Half of the Nineteenth Century)’] (2016) 5 Porivnialno-analitychne pravo 12-4 (in Ukrainian).

4. Levchuk N, ‘Zdorovia i tryvalist zhyttia v Ukraini u konteksti formuvannia peredumov innovatsiinoi zainiatosti’ [‘Health and Life Expectancy in Ukraine in the Context of the Formation of Prerequisites for Innovative Employment’] (2017) 1 Demohrafiia ta sotsialna ekonomika 54-65 (in Ukrainian).

5. Savchuk Ye, ‘Pravove rehuliuvannia sotsialnoho zakhystu robitnykiv Nimechchyny naprykintsi XX st.’ [‘Legal Regulation of Social Protection of Workers of Germany at the End of the Twentieth Century’] (2014) 7 Naukovyi visnyk Mizhnarodnoho humanitarnoho universytetu. Seria: Yurysprudentsiia 51-4 (in Ukrainian).

6. Tyshchenko O, ‘Dosvid sotsialnoho zabezpechennia naselennia v providnykh krainakh Yevropeiskoho Soiuzu’ [‘Experience of Social Security in the Leading Countries of the European Union’] [2015] 2(2) Naukovyi visnyk Khersonskoho derzhavnoho universytetu. Seriia: Yurydychni nauky 76-81 (in Ukrainian).

7. Zhyhlei I, ‘Modeli sotsialnykh derzhav ta sotsialnyi zakhyst: ekskurs v mynule ta maibutnie’ [‘Models of Social States and Social Protection: Excursion into the Past and Future’] [2008] 4(46) Visnyk ZhDTU 71-9 (in Ukrainian).

Websites

8. ‘Pensiina systema Nimechchyny’ [‘Pension System of Germany’] <http://www.uaib. com.ua/files/articles/203/49/Germany.pdf> (accessed: 11.04.2019) (in Ukrainian).

9. ‘Systema sotsialnoho zabezpechennia u Nimechchyni’ [‘How is Social Security in Germany?’] <https://migrant.biz.ua/nimechina/zhittya-de/sotsialne-zabezpechennia. html> (accessed: 11.04.2019) (in Ukrainian).