From the outset, Ukraine's environmental community has demanded that the Ministry of Environment remain a separate institution. However, the alarming context surrounding the merged ministries in the Midas anti-corruption case has provided yet another reason to declare the importance of restoring the ministry.
The human rights organization Ecology-Law-Man initiated a statement that has already been supported by about a hundred public organizations.
"We demand that the people's deputies restore the work of a separate ministry as soon as possible and appoint a candidate who will strengthen trust in the Ukrainian government as the head of the ministry," the statement said.
Risks of merging ministries
Environmental activists insist that the Ministry of Environment is a key state body. It cannot be an "appendage" to a department that also shapes economic and agricultural policy. According to the signatories of the statement, integrating the environmental ministry into a joint structure poses several problems:
- the levelling of environmental priorities;
- constant conflicts of interest at the very heart of decision-making;
- the risk of new corruption schemes emerging.
Legislative and European integration failure
In the nearly six months since the new ministry was established, it has demonstrated its ineffectiveness. According to environmental activists, none of the key reforms have been implemented. This is unacceptable, given the amount of European integration work that Ukraine has to do. We are talking about the implementation of at least 200 EU standards and regulations in the field of environmental protection.
At the same time, the latest report of the European Commission mentions corruption risks in the field of logging and land and subsoil use. Environmentalists mention draft law No. 12089, which created mechanisms for legalizing forests and land "stolen" from the state. The statement also notes the corruption risks and environmental damage mentioned in the European Commission's response to this document.
"When there was a separate Ministry of the Environment, this institution submitted its proposal to veto harmful projects and thus acted as a safeguard. The liquidation of such an institution is tantamount to supporting crimes against the environment, which are hindering Ukraine's accession to the EU," environmental activists emphasize.
EcoPolitic has previously reported on the most high-profile cases of appropriation of nature conservation lands, which became possible "thanks" to the controversial Law No. 12089.
