The appointment of the new Ukrainian Minister of Environment t led to positive changes in relationships between the Ministry of Environment and the public.  The arguments of a number of nation-wide environmental non-governmental organisations in favour of public involvement into the dialogue on the Strategy of the National Environmental Policy and the Action Plan development were finally heard.

NGOs got an instructive answer signed by the first deputy Minister of Environment Volodimir Ignaschenko (Letter № 14057/14/10-10 of 20.07.2010) in response to their open appeals. The letter says: “Taking into consideration the NGOs’ constructive criticism, on June 23, the Ministry of Environment iteratively published the Strategy Project on its web-site for the purpose of public discussion. The hearings for public discussion of the Strategy will be set in accordance with legislation. Also, considering the NGOs’ proposals, MoE started development of the Environmental National Action Plan for 2011-2015. For that purpose an international working group was created that includes three representatives of NGOs.

Thereby, the Strategy project along with the draft project of Budget Support Implementation Indicators is available at MoE’s web-site since June, 23. According to the head of the MoE’s Administration of Environmental policy, Volodimir Bilokon, today, there are 8 written proposals with comments on the Strategy project that were received from NGOs. The draft Indicators  doesn’t have any feedback yet.  “We plan to arrange public hearings on the Strategy project and the National Action Plan at the turn of the August – early September. - Volodimir Bilokon says, - Then, we will study all the written suggestions and prepare the review of the public’s comments with explanations why any particular correction or addition was or wasn’t taken into account.” At this stage, the Environmental policy Working group of the Public Council of Experts under the Ukrainian part of Ukraine – EU Cooperation Committee is preparing comments to the draft Indicators.

At the same time, there are 5 month to complete the development of EU budget support of Environmental Sector of Ukraine financial Agreement. August 10, 2010 is the date of termination of the period to endorse the Indicators project with all the interested Ministries and Agencies. The public still has the opportunity to influence the content of Indicators till the end of the week. After that, the development of technical and administrative terms of the Agreement, which are based on the Indicators, will start. The draft project of the Agreement will be considered at the session of the Joint working group on implementation of budget support involving EU and SIDA representatives, that will take place on September, 26, 2010. Representatives of environmental non-governmental organizations are also expected to be invited for participation.

It is a reminder that the key commitment to Ukraine for obtaining the sectoral budget support from EU equal to 35 million Euros and 10 million Euros from the Swedish government is the development and adoption of the Law of Ukraine on Approval of the Strategy of the National Environmental Policy till the end of the year 2010, that is the main obligation of Ukraine in the environmental sphere under the implementation of EU-Ukraine Association Agenda 2010. The decision to grant the first tranche (equal to 15 million Euros) will be made on the basis of signing of the EU budget support of Environmental Sector of Ukraine Agreement, but appropriation of funds will only take place on the basis of Cabinet’s of Ministers of Ukraine approval of the Environmental National Action Plan during the first quarter of the year 2011.

This report was prepared under the public supervision of Ukraine’s implementation of its obligations to EU in the environmental policy sphere, that, in its turn, is a part of project “Strengthening Participation of Environmental Organizations of Ukraine in the Development of EU-Ukraine Relationship”, supported by the European Program of the International Renaissance Foundation.

Contact persons:

Hanna Holubovska-Onisimova, The President of the All-Ukrainian Environmental NGO “MAMA-86”, the coordinator of project “Strengthening Participation of Environmental Organizations of Ukraine in the Development of EU-Ukraine Relationship”, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Daryna Nakonechna, the coordinator of projects of the European Program, IRF, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

All-Ukrainian Environmental NGO “MAMA-86”works since 1990 to promote environmental consciousness in policy making in Ukraine for transition to sustainable development. Website: mama-86.org.ua

European Program of the International Renaissance Foundation is intended to further international integration of Ukraine by giving financial and expert support to public initiatives.