Experts from the Association of Environmental Professionals (PAEW) have criticized the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources for new regulations on the management of hazardous waste, which reduce this market to the "shadow".
Companies-licensees are deprived of the opportunity to work in the legal field under old licenses and will not be able to obtain new ones, reports Office of Permanent Solutions.
The PAEW explained that there are currently no legal acts that would ensure the implementation of Law No. 2320-IX "On Waste Management" regarding the management of hazardous waste. The Ministry of Environment has developed a draft resolution "On the approval of licensing conditions for the implementation of hazardous waste management business activities" and sent it to the Cabinet of Ministers for approval.
The document was widely criticized because:
- provides for entry into force on July 9, 2023, which, as of November 2023, contradicts the principles of legislation regarding the effect of the law in time. In addition, the license conditions must enter into force after a certain period of time from the day of their publication, in order to carry out preparatory work;
- takes into account the Rules for the ratio of operations (approved by the Ministry of Environment), which are currently not approved. They provide that the licensee must pass an inspection of the material and technical base to confirm the possibility of carrying out activities.
It is noted that the previous type of activity "hazardous waste management", which was subject to licensing, has not changed in essence and subject of activity. Only the name of the type of economic activity and the permit document have been changed.
PAEW added that in order to obtain a license, a business entity must go through the following procedures:
- environmental impact assessments;
- obtaining a permit to carry out waste processing operations;
- obtaining a license (on the basis of the received permission documents).
"Thus, for one type of economic activity, a business entity is required to obtain three permit documents with the same subject of regulation, requirements, etc. from one authorized body – the Ministry of the Environment," PAEW emphasized. – We believe that such actions (and inaction) of the responsible representatives of the Government discredit the waste management reform, call into question European integration obligations and do not contribute to the investment climate."
Earlier, EcoPolitic wrote, that expert on waste management at the Ukrainian Institute of the Future Oleksandr Lymar stated that the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources issues permits for cross-border transportation of waste that do not comply with Law No. 2320-IX "On Waste Management".
As EcoPolitic previously reported, professionals from the Association of Environmental Professionals (PAEW) and more than 200 experts discussed the failure of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources to fix the crisis of environmental control as part of reforming its system.
