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UKRAINE – IMPLEMENTING ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS

In September 2006 Cambrensis Director William Wilson gave a presentation and helped to lead a workshop on Implementing Environmental Laws at an international conference in Mariupol, Ukraine.

The conference was attended by members of the Ukrainian Parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, government Ministries, the President's Secretariat, NGOs and civil society groups and international organisations, from the Ukraine, Former Soviet Union countries and the rest of Europe.

William Wilson’s presentation, in English or Ukrainian, is available at www.open-dialog.com/conference//results.cfm under ‘Presentations’. Photographs of the conference, and some of the spectacular pollution from the steelworks and industrial plant in the vicinity are also posted on that website.

The Conference workshop resulted in the preparation of a Declaration of Principles for Implementing Environmental Law, which will be made widely available to Ukrainian and international agencies through the conference website, and which is set out below -

“declaration of principles on the implementation of environmental law in the ukraine

it is the conclusion of this conference that –

• 1. Ukraine needs its environmental laws to be implemented effectively. At present, in many cases, they are not implemented at all. Government must seek the means of implementation through its present institutions and make every effort to strengthen them.

• 2. Laws must be clear and enforceable, and applied according to regulations appropriate to each industry sector, based wherever possible on the best available science.

• 3. Industry must comply with the laws and regulations, and must deliver effective control of pollution and emissions, and must face deterrent sanctions if it fails to do so.

• 4. Environmental permits are required, with clear operating conditions, and enforcement by inspectors who should monitor, investigate and enforce the laws and prosecute offenders.

• 5. No one should be able to ignore the law. Those responsible for industrial enterprises who know what the law is but choose to ignore it should face criminal sanctions and deterrent penalties.

• 6. Corruption is an aggravating factor and should always attract extra penalties.

• 7. The courts have an important role to play in ensuring that environmental laws are effective.

• 8. Public participation in lawmaking and access to justice are essential. In the longer term, building public support for environmental laws is their best defence.

• 9. The health of future generations of Ukrainians and the protection of Ukraine's environment demands that politicians, courts, industry and civil society all take immediate steps to make environmental laws effective.

DONE AT MARIUPOL

September 2006”

 For further information, to view conference proceedings and presentations, papers, photographs and other materials resulting from the conference, please see www.open-dialog.com . For further information about Cambrensis and its participation in this conference, please contact William Wilson at wwilson@cambrensis.org, tel. +44 (0)1432-269-860

 

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