The struggle for the contents of the Strategy of National Environmental Policy of Ukraine goes on
The hearings were attended by members of parliament, representatives of central and local executive authorities, academic institutions, environmental NGOs.
Opening the event, Anatoliy Semynoha, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Environmental Policy, Natural Resources and Elimination of Consequences of Chornobyl Catastrophe, noted among others that the Strategy of National Environmental Policy of Ukraine 2020 is an extremely important document both for environmental protection, sustainable use of natural resources, and for national security of the state. Eventually, it has to become a legislative basis for implementation of a series of environmental activities through the development of National Action Plan on Environmental Protection.
During the discussion of the draft law (registration №7053), a number of comments and proposals were made. In particular, it was noted that the bill does not consider the main statements of the Concept of National Environmental Policy, approved by the Cabinet of Ministers decision 17.10.2007 № 880-р and requires, above all, structuring, defining the environmental component as equal in the implementation of sustainable development concept, which will meet the provisions of international treaties signed by Ukraine; ensuring the integration of environmental policy into economic policy in general, to national, sectoral, regional and local policies, plans and programs.
Working Group on Environmental Policy of the Public Council under the Ministry of Environmental Protection of Ukraine, which includes representatives of environmental NGO «MAMA-86», National Environmental Center of Ukraine and All-Ukrainian Environmental League, in cooperation with experts of the Working Group on creation of the National Action Plan for the Strategy of National Environmental Policy, prepared a comparative table of amendments and changes into the bill (hereinafter – comparative table), which was submitted by the Cabinet of Ministers to Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on August 26 and registered on August 27 without taking into account the results of public discussion. Comparative table was put into handout materials of the committee hearings and has become a basis for discussion.
Based on the results of the discussion, the Committee decided to recommend the Parliament to adopt the draft bill as the basis for the Law “On the Strategy of National Environmental Policy of Ukraine for the period until 2020” with further development to the second reading jointly with the Cabinet of Ministers, with consideration of submitted remarks and suggestions.
Opinion of the Committee from 6.10.2010.
NGO representatives that participated in the preparation of comparative table, proposed the Committee to involve experts of environmental NGOs to the process of text processing after passing the first reading.
Hanna Holubovska-Onisimova, president of the environmental NGO “MAMA-86” stressed in her presentation that European Commission officials emphasized at numerous meetings that the EU cannot provide financial support to the implementation of the Strategy if the text does not take into consideration comments of the public.
Preliminary schedule of Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine provides for the consideration of the draft bill 7053 from 27.09.2010 “Draft Law on the Strategy of National Environmental Policy of Ukraine for the period until 2020” during the plenary week, November 2-5, 2010.
Preparation of the project of Strategy of National Environmental Policy of Ukraine has lasted for almost three years. Non-governmental organizations have been trying to influence the contents of the Strategy to make it a powerful tool for reforms towards environmentally-conscious policy of Ukraine’s development. During 2010, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine submitted the project of Strategy to Verkhovna Rada two times, without consideration of public comments, which contradicts current legislation of Ukraine. Adoption of the Strategy and signing of the Agreement on budgetary support from the EU by the end of 2010 is an essential condition for European Commission’s support to cooperation with Ukraine in the area of environmental protection, in the framework of European Neighbourhood Policy Instrument.
This material was prepared by the environmental NGO “MAMA-86” in the frames of the public monitoring of Ukraine’s implementation of its commitments to the European Union in environmental policy, which is also part of the project “Enhancing Participation of Environmental Organizations of Ukraine in the Development of EU-Ukraine Relationship”, supported by the European Program of the International Renaissance Foundation
Contact persons: Hanna Holubovska-Onisimova, President of the All-Ukrainian Environmental NGO “MAMA-86”, coordinator of the project “Strengthening Participation of Environmental Organizations of Ukraine in the Development of EU-Ukraine Relationship”, anna@mama-86.org.ua, Daryna Nakonechna, coordinator of the projects of the European Program, IRF, nakonechna@irf.kiev.ua
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All-Ukrainian Environmental NGO “MAMA-86”works since 1990 to promote environmental consciousness in policy making in Ukraine for transition to sustainable development. Website: www.mama-86.org.ua
