The government has adopted new rules for controlling industrial emissions. Ukraine now has an official list of hazardous substances that pollute the air, and violations will be punished.
This was reported by the press service of the Ministry of Economy.
The ministry explained that the introduction of the new rules brings Ukraine closer to EU environmental standards. Similar regulations have long been in place in European countries and have proven effective, with air pollution falling by 40-85% over the past 15 years.
These changes are part of Ukraine's international commitments prior to joining the EU, so this decision will strengthen cooperation between Ukraine and the European Union, as large enterprises will no longer be able to pollute the air with hazardous substances with impunity.
Several years ago, Ukraine committed to updating its environmental legislation to bring it into line with European standards. A key requirement was the adoption of a law under Article 11 on “Integrated Prevention and Control of Industrial Pollution.”
The purpose of the agreement is to establish the legal and organizational framework for the prevention, reduction, and control of industrial pollution to ensure the protection of the environment and constitutional rights to an environment safe for life and health through the implementation, in accordance with Article 11 of the law on “Integrated Prevention and Control of Industrial Pollution,” mandatory standards for the use of the best available technologies and methods of management and monitoring of emissions.
The law became part of the agreements under the Ukraine Facility program, an EU support program that provides for reforms in the field of ecology. According to the law, it is not enough for enterprises to simply install filters or report on their emissions, but they must also systematically reduce them.
For this to work, there needs to be a clear list of substances that are harmful to human health and life. The benefits for Ukraine include a reduction in toxic substances in the air and a step towards EU membership.
As EcoPolitic wrote earlier, the Ministry of Environment has developed new emission monitoring standards that are necessary for the launch of the STV.
