The Cabinet of Ministers approved changes to the Procedure for conducting public hearings in the process of environmental impact assessment.
From now on, public hearings with the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications will be held via video conference, the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources reports on Facebook.
The message explained that the new rules will help:
- make the EIA procedure more open and transparent;
- involve the public in the approval of important decisions in the field of environmental protection.
It is noted that such changes are provided for by Law 3227-IX "On Amending Certain Laws of Ukraine Regarding the Improvement and Digitization of the Environmental Impact Assessment Procedure", namely the changes that entered into force on July 29, 2023.
Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources Olena Kramarenko emphasized that this is an important step after the three-year quarantine restrictions to restore public participation.
"The document takes into account all security issues and establishes a balanced approach – public hearings will be held online. After the victory, we will again be able to return to the usual mode of public hearings, as it was in prewar times. And currently, despite all the obstacles, it is important to comply with European integration requirements and make the process more transparent and controllable for the public," she said.
As EcoPolitic reported earlier, on July 29, new Law No. 3227-IX "On Environmental Impact Assessment" entered into force in Ukraine, due to which, from July 31, public discussion of the report on environmental protection will take place under new rules.
