The Ukrainian government has approved a draft law that will strengthen administrative liability in the area of rational water resource use. Some fines could increase more than tenfold, as officials believe the current fines do not deter violators.
This was reported by the Ministry of Economy, Environment, and Agriculture.
The draft law contains provisions for revising and increasing financial penalties for violators of water legislation. In particular, it provides for increased fines for the following offenses:
- unauthorized use of water resources;
- pollution and littering of water bodies;
- violation of the water protection regime;
- inefficient use of water resources;
- failure to comply with water accounting regulations.
Current fines are ineffective
Financial penalties are intended to deter individuals or businesses from committing violations. However, in Ukraine, such fines are too low to serve as an effective preventive measure.
The Ministry of Economy cites the example of the penalty for violation of state ownership rights over water resources. Currently, this fine in Ukraine amounts to 85–136 UAH. In contrast, the draft law proposes to raise it to 3,400–5,100 UAH.
For comparison, a similar violation in Croatia requires payment of €1,320–2,000, and in Slovenia – €10,000–20,000.
Broader range of violations
The government-approved draft law expands the list of water sector offenses that are subject to liability as follows:
- non-compliance with the terms of special water use permits;
- destruction of riverbeds and watercourses during the construction of engineering structures;
- violation of the regime for economic activity within water protection zones;
- submission of inaccurate information in the sphere of state water accounting.
“Strengthening responsibility is a step towards fostering a culture of careful attitude to water resources and bringing our legislation closer to European standards,” emphasized Ihor Zubovych, Deputy Minister of Economy, Environment, and Agriculture of Ukraine.
The Ministry of Economy expects that if the draft law is adopted, it will allow for better protection of water resources and help restore ecological balance and people’s right to a safe environment.
EcoPolitic previously reported that experts consider the situation in Ukraine’s water sector to be critical. They also expressed a number of comments on the passed land reclamation law, which threatens water security in Ukrainian cities.
