The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has amended the Procedure for conducting activities related to issuance of permits for air pollutant emissions, which was approved back in March 2002 (Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 302).

In particular, the Procedure was brought in line with the Law “On amendments to certain laws of Ukraine on improving the mechanism for regulating air pollutant emissions” and redrafted.

From now on, the Procedure:

• provides for a transparent mechanism for obtaining a permit;
• sets out clear time frames;
• provides for electronic interaction with the State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection to issue a conclusion on obtaining a permit;
• establishes step-by-step instructions for public participation in the process of issuing an emission permit and holding a public hearing;
• defines a clear mechanism for denying, revoking, reissuing, suspending and renewing an emission permit;
• provides for the digitalization of the process.

Companies will be able to go all the way from submitting documents to obtaining an emission permit via a single environmental platform, EcoSystem. The Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources is currently working on a technical solution.

“Supporting Ukrainian business is of great importance for the country’s economic sustainability. Therefore, today’s decision is another step towards simplifying and improving the licensing procedures faced by enterprises. At the same time, it is also a step towards improving environmental safety, preventing and reducing air pollution, which is already negatively affected by constant enemy shelling and infrastructure disruptions,” commented Ruslan Strilets, Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine.

What was the procedure like before?

It took companies a long time to prepare and approve all the materials. The procedure could take six months or longer. The procedure for reissuing, renewing and suspending the permit was not defined at all.

In addition, there was no clear procedure for considering public concerns and holding public hearings. This resulted in a low level of public participation and awareness in the decision-making process.

“Today, thanks to the Government’s targeted policy, many steps have already been taken to enable businesses to start their operations without bureaucratic obstacles and operate transparently. At present, state registration in the field of atmospheric air and issuance of certificates on background concentrations are carried out online in peopleless mode. Today, we are working on digitalizing the issuance of emission permits. We continue to comply with the provisions of the Aarhus Convention and ensure public participation in decision-making. This is an important indicator of every modern civilized country, and Ukraine is no exception,” said Ruslan Strilets.

Source: www.mepr.gov.ua