On Thursday, May 7, the Parliamentary Committee on Environmental Policy and Natural Resource Use will hold a meeting. The committee will begin working on legislative amendments at 12:00 p.m. via an online format.
This information was announced in a post on the committee’s website.
Focus on radioactive waste
The main bill to be considered by the environmental parliamentarians will be Document No. 12356. It concerns the National Targeted Environmental Program for Radioactive Waste Management. The document has already been prepared for its second reading, and its conclusion will be reviewed at the meeting.
Water protection
The Committee on Environmental Policy is also expected to submit proposals for two alternative bills that would increase penalties for violations of water resource protection regulations. These are documents No. 15906 and No. 15906-1, which share the same title—on amendments to the Code of Ukraine on Administrative Offenses aimed at strengthening liability in the field of water protection, rational water use, and water resource restoration. The first draft law was submitted by the Cabinet of Ministers, and the second by People’s Deputy Ihor Kryvosheyev.
EcoPolitics previously reported that these legislative changes are intended to significantly increase the amount of fines for violations of water law. The main motivation is outdated regulations that in no way correspond to the actual level of environmental damage and do not serve a preventive function. For example, the fine for littering or polluting water bodies for citizens could rise to 3,400 UAH.
