The Verkhovna Rada has passed a bill that effectively exempts industrial parks from environmental impact assessments and also creates risks of overdevelopment under the guise of developing such sites. The bill was submitted to Volodymyr Zelenskyy for his signature on 7 September, and civil society organisations are calling on the president to veto it.
This was reported by the ‘Golka’ civic initiative.
This refers to Bill No. 12117 "On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of Ukraine Regarding the Improvement of the Functioning of Industrial Parks". On 2 September, the Verkhovna Rada approved it at second reading and as a whole.
Threats to the environment and European integration
Officially, the authors justified the need for this bill by citing the need to attract investment and reduce bureaucracy. However, in practice, once the provisions of the law come into force, the potential environmental damage that the industrial park could cause can be ignored. Before construction begins, there will be no requirement to assess the impact on air, water, soil or people.
As well as posing a direct threat to the environment, the provisions of the document also run counter to the requirements of European integration.
"This is not a streamlining of bureaucracy; it is a refusal to carry out the assessment required by European Union legislation. Exactly two years ago, the European Commission made it clear: there can be no relaxation of the environmental impact assessment procedure. We therefore call on Volodymyr Zelenskyy not to sign this law. And, as it pursues European integration, parliament must ensure that such legislation is not adopted,” emphasised Olena Kravchenko, head of the organisation “Ecology–Law–People”.
At the same time, Document No. 12117 could prevent Ukraine from securing funding under the Ukraine Facility Plan, which is set to raise tens of billions of euros.
Risks associated with residential development
One particular aspect of the new law is that it opens the door to manipulation in the construction of residential property. The legislation has expanded the list of properties that may be built within an industrial park to include hostels and hotels. However, it is only a small step from a hotel to a residential building.
"In practice, this makes it possible to build residential blocks under the guise of aparthotels, which are constructed without the necessary infrastructure. This method of housing construction is common when recreational or public areas are being developed. We have analysed similar situations in various communities across Ukraine. In other words, any industrial park can be turned into an ordinary residential estate with offices,” commented Heorhii Mohylnyi, an analyst at the civil society initiative ‘Holka’.
As a reminder, Ukrainian lawmakers have drafted Bill No. 15431 “On Game Management, Hunting and the Sustainable Use of Game Animals”. The public and experts criticise it for being inhumane and cruel, whilst the relevant committee of parliament criticises it for deviating from European practices.
