Wind farms in the Carpathians: Ministry of Economy resumes EIA procedure for wind farms

Wind farms in the Carpathians: Ministry of Economy resumes EIA procedure for wind farms facebook.com/SavePikuy

Maria Semenova

Only three days were allocated for public discussion from the date of publication of the order

The environmental impact assessment proceedings have been resumed for the construction of a wind farm in Zakarpattia, which is being carried out by Turyansky Wind Park LLC. The public has been given until 23 January to submit their comments.

This is according to a statement from the Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture.

The case concerns a wind farm on the territory of the Turia-Remetivska village council. The company has submitted documents to obtain an EIA conclusion on the planned construction and operation of wind energy facilities.

Previously, the EIA procedure was put on hold in accordance with the decision of the Administrative Court of Transcarpathia and the Eighth Administrative Court of Appeal.

Public discussion

The Ministry of Economy set 23 January as the deadline for discussions. So the public was given just a few days to express their comments and suggestions. And there are more than enough comments.

According to activists, the construction of the new wind power plant is being carried out in violation of legal procedures and completely ignores the views of local residents and the expert community. Above all, it is Polonyna Runa, famous for its untouched primeval forests, that is suffering. There, without an EIA, foundations for wind turbines are being installed, while Wind Park Turyansky LLC continues to obtain new permits from local village councils.

State authorities, who often side with Carpathian developers, have also drawn criticism from the environmental community. In particular, the State Environmental Inspectorate initially ignored the violations, and later refused to provide inspection reports on the legality of the construction. The Zakarpattia court also refused to protect the unique forests.

The situation has attracted considerable attention, so in November 2025, parliamentary committees on environmental policy and European integration held a field meeting at the wind farm construction site. They paid particular attention to a loophole that allows developers to separate the installation of foundations from the wind turbines themselves during the EIA procedure. At the same time, the parliamentarians condemned the local authorities' disregard for public opinion and the puzzling inactivity of law enforcement agencies.

Environmental activists are also calling for a review of the draft law that is supposed to simplify the construction of new wind farms. Environmentalists see it as containing gaps that will open the way for developers. In particular, the new norms will allow retaining current land designations, building access roads on third-party land, and EIA opinions will be valid twice as long without review.

Related
Government experiment with simplified waste treatment permits failed to meet expectations
Government experiment with simplified waste treatment permits failed to meet expectations

Among the shortcomings of the experiment is the lack of real data on the volumes and composition of waste, which most likely indicates that recyclable materials were dumped in landfills

Wetlands spanning 20,000 hectares being restored in Rivne Nature Reserve in Polissia
Wetlands spanning 20,000 hectares being restored in Rivne Nature Reserve in Polissia

The measures include slowing the flow of water in drainage canals so that it stays in wetlands

Parliament fails vote to protect the Carpathians from wind turbines and development: who voted against
Parliament fails vote to protect the Carpathians from wind turbines and development: who voted against

Environmentalists suggest that it is still possible to gather the required number of votes

Global wind energy growth rate fell by 18%
Global wind energy growth rate fell by 18%

Global wind power capacity is expected to exceed 1.5 TW by the end of the year