The government has adopted a series of decisions in the environmental sector: an overview of the changes

On 30 September, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine adopted a number of documents relating to environmental issues. These include the establishment of a framework for implementing the principles of sustainable development, the definition of risk criteria in the field of hazardous waste management, and regulations on the registration of veterinary medicines and eco-design for power sources.

EcoPolitics outlines the key changes set out in the adopted documents.

Assessing the level of risk for organisations that manage hazardous waste

The Cabinet of Ministers has drawn up a comprehensive list of risks that may arise from economic activities relating to the management of hazardous waste. The criteria for assessing the level of danger posed by these risks will form the basis for determining the frequency of inspections of enterprises. All of this was approved on 30 September in a government resolution. This was announced by the Ministry of Economy and Environment.

"The introduction of a risk-based approach will lead to greater efficiency in state supervision. The focus will be on businesses whose activities pose a heightened risk to the environment and human health. At the same time, the administrative burden on businesses posing a low or medium level of risk will be optimised," the ministry emphasised.

Regulation No. 1200 of 30 September 2026 establishes uniform rules for the hazardous waste management sector. It sets out:

• a list of criteria, together with benchmarks and the corresponding marks;
• the risks of adverse consequences occurring.

The authorities will use these indicators to assess the level of risk associated with the operations of a particular industry-specific enterprise. The Ministry of Economy will then determine the frequency of inspections for each group.

Companies will be awarded points based on the criteria used to determine their risk level:

• type of operation: collection and storage – 6 marks, recovery – 12 marks, disposal – 12 marks, recovery and disposal – 25 marks;
• number of hazardous waste management operations: up to 2 – 5 marks, up to 3 – 10 marks, more than 3 – 15 marks;
• the number of types of hazardous waste involved in the operations: up to 5 – 5 marks, up to 20 – 10 marks, more than 20 – 15 marks;
• if an organisation has not implemented a quality management system that complies with national or international standards, it will receive an additional 15 points;
• if, within two years (but no later than three), a breach of the licensing conditions for carrying out business activities has been identified, the entity will receive a further 10 points;
• If a facility is included in the State Electronic Register of High-Risk Facilities, this adds 5 points.

The group to which an enterprise is assigned is determined by the total score based on the following criteria: 0 to 20 – low risk, 21 to 40 – medium risk, 41 to 100 – high risk.

The frequency of inspections depends on the level of risk associated with the activity. Thus, for low-risk activities, inspections take place no more frequently than once every five years; for medium-risk activities, once every three years; and for high-risk activities, once every two years.

If no breaches have been identified at enterprises with a medium or low level of risk over the last 6 and 10 years, the date of the next inspection is postponed by 4.5 and 7.5 years respectively.

The resolution lists the following as risks of adverse consequences:

• the release of hazardous waste into the environment, causing harm to human health and nature;
• Inadequate standards in the performance of operations – from collection to disposal. This is regarded as a risk of environmental pollution.

Principles of sustainable financing

Also, on 30 September, by Order No. 993-r, the government approved the Roadmap for the implementation of sustainable finance instruments. It sets out the implementation of environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles and instruments.

This document is important for attracting investment, as donors – particularly those from Europe – base their selection of projects on businesses’ adherence to the values of sustainable development.

The roadmap covers the period 2026–2028. It is intended to lay the foundations for the implementation of ESG approaches in Ukraine – in terms of regulation, methodology, and information and analysis.

As emphasised by the Ministry of Economy, the document provides for the establishment of a comprehensive national system of sustainable financing.

The roadmap sets out five key objectives:

1. Establishing the regulatory framework for the implementation of a taxonomy of sustainable economic activities;
2. The introduction of a system of due corporate diligence in the field of sustainable development;
3. Integration of climate and environmental considerations into the public investment management system;
4. The introduction of monitoring of sustainable finance flows;
5. Development of the regulatory framework and infrastructure for sustainable financing.

With regard to the third objective, which concerns the environment, the document sets out the following measures:

• Development of guidance materials for assessing the carbon footprint of public investment projects. These materials are to be published on the Unified Information System for the Management of Public Investment Projects. The Ministry of Economy and the Ministry of Development are to complete this by the end of the second quarter of 2027;
• Development of methodological materials for assessing the impacts and vulnerabilities of public investment projects to the physical risks of climate change, and their inclusion in the Unified Information System for the Management of Public Investment Projects. The Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of Development and the Ministry of Finance are responsible for this measure. Implementation deadline: the fourth quarter of 2027;
• Raising awareness and building the capacity of local community representatives regarding the application of climate and environmental criteria. This initiative is to be implemented by the Ministry of Economy and the Ministry of Development between 2026 and 2028.

Rules for the registration of veterinary medicines

The Cabinet of Ministers has approved the Regulations on the State Registration of Veterinary Medicinal Products. The document covers various aspects of the procedure – from the requirements for applications to the rules on the labelling of veterinary medicines.

According to a statement from the Ministry of Economy and the Environment, the adoption of the document addresses existing legal loopholes and is in line with the Law ‘On Veterinary Medicine and Animal Welfare’.

Another aspect is European integration. The new provision provides for the implementation of Regulation (EU) 2019/6 on veterinary medicinal products.

This refers to Regulation No. 1206 of 30 September 2026. It should be noted at the outset that the provisions of this document do not apply to products intended exclusively for fish, birds, rodents and reptiles, provided they are kept as pets.

The Regulations set out the procedure for registering various types of medicinal products, specifying the list of all necessary documents, labelling requirements, information on the package leaflet, and so on.

The document also clearly sets out the procedure for the assessment of the registration dossier by the State Service for Food Safety and Consumer Protection – from deadlines and requirements regarding transparency to payment for services.

Separately, the provision sets out the details regarding the decision to grant or refuse state registration of veterinary medicines. It also sets out the conditions for the revocation of registration and the time limits for rectifying deficiencies.

Eco-design of power supplies

The Government has adopted technical regulations that clearly set out the eco-design rules for external power supplies – devices located outside the housing of the main electrical equipment that convert mains power to supply other devices. The aim of this document is to optimise electricity consumption and losses.

The regulations were approved by Resolution No. 1207 of 30 September 2026. Their implementation is to be overseen by the State Agency for Energy Efficiency and Energy Saving. The document also contains a list of devices – adaptors, converters and the like – which will also be subject to state supervision.

The document sets out, amongst other things, the following requirements:

• the maximum power consumption when the unit is idle;
• minimum efficiency;
• information that must be included on the rating plate – output power, output voltage, output current;
• information that must be included in consumer instructions and on manufacturers’ websites.

The regulations also set out the requirements for verification and indicative benchmarks.

It should be noted that the scope of this document does not extend to uninterruptible power supplies, lighting converters and voltage converters, external power supplies for medical devices, or docking stations for stand-alone devices.