EPL representatives took part in the international forum “United for Nature. Agenda for Ukraine” organized by the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine. In times of war, when Ukraine is going through the most difficult trials, we must not forget that environmental security is part of national security that our military fight for. There is a struggle for a new free country and everyone in their place must fight for a better future for their country. Environmentalists see the future of Ukraine as a state in which happy citizens live in a safe and healthy environment, and therefore talk about the importance of green recovery. The key to successful implementation of the plan of Ukraine’s green recovery to its natural state is implementation of the environmental control reform envisaging creation of a new, modern, institutionally capable body of state environmental control. It is such an institution that should play a key role in implementation of Point 8 of the President’s Peace Formula and Environmental Declaration, – stated Olena Kravchenko, EPL Executive Director
Discussions at the international forum “United for Nature. Agenda for Ukraine” focused on the urgency of the state environmental control reform, its role in green recovery, overcoming corruption factors in the area of environmental control, restoring the trust of civil society in the institution of environmental control, as well as on the role of the reform of state environmental control in implementation of Ukraine Facility program.
“Today, together with our colleagues, we will present to you our vision of reforming the system of state environmental control in Ukraine. As the moderator rightly noted, it is critically important to have an institute of state environmental control designed according to the international model. In particular, in the time when Ukraine is holding back the Russian onslaught and resisting in the struggle, our environmental control system will pass the so-called “crash test” when Ukraine’s lawsuits for compensation for environmental damage in international courts are being defended. Therefore, we do not have time to wait and are already obliged to actively build the system of environmental control according to international standards. Good quality documentation of damage to the environment is one of the components of fair compensation for damage to the environment,” said the Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine Olena Kramarenko and added that in view of the reduction of pressure on business during the full-scale war, there finally appeared a need to change the paradigm of the environmental control body from punitive to one that will prevent and stop damage to the environment and will promptly work to eliminate negative consequences for the environment.
The head of SEI Ihor Zubovych spoke about the stages of the reform and creation of a single integrated environmental control body, optimization and unification of all functions of environmental control in one body, optimization of funds, and interests from collected damages. According to the reform, there will be an optimization of regional environmental control bodies. 12 regions will be created according to resource efficiency and technogenic principles. 12 modern laboratories will also be created to work according to European measurement standards, to widen the range of research, to develop appropriate material and legal basis in order to ensure proper storage of evidence.
Ihor Zubovych also focused on digitalization of the SEI as a safeguard against corruption. Digitization will involve recording every fact of negative impact on the environment at the place of its discovery and uploading it into the online database, as well as providing for a procedure and clearly defining deadlines for uploading all documents created during inspections into the relevant online database.
Olena Kravchenko also spoke about the need to grant regional environmental control bodies with greater powers and, accordingly, to impose legal responsibility for action or inaction in decision-making, emphasized the importance of clear definitions and procedures of various forms of environmental control measures. Olena noted that given the importance of the state environmental control body in recording and calculating the damage caused by the Russian Federation to the environment of Ukraine, the implementation or non-implementation of this reform will be a test for the state’s strength, leadership of the Ministry of Environment, capacity of people’s deputies, representatives of honest business and civil society.
