On November 29, at the sitting of the NA Standing Committee on Territorial Administration, Local Self-Government, Agriculture and Environment Protection, the new regulations proposed in the Law on the Protection of the Ozone Layer and the Code on Administrative Offenses were debated in the first reading, which were presented by the RA Deputy Minister of Environment Tigran Gabrielyan.
The adoption of the package will ensure the harmonization of the current sectoral domestic and European Union sectoral legislation. According to Tigran Gabrielyan, the legislative package was debated with all the concerned parties.
In the Q&A session, reference was made to the list of ozone-depleting substances, the prevention of steps contributing to the destruction of the ozone layer, and the tightening of measures of responsibility in case of violation of the norms by the relevant companies.
The legislative package providing for amendments and addenda to the law on Atmospheric Air Protection was debated in the Committee in the second reading procedure. The Head of the Inspection Bodies’ Coordination Bureau of the RA Prime Minister’s Staff Petros Martirosyan reminded that the addendum to the law proposes to establish the procedure for assessing the impact of economic activity on the atmosphere by the Government, and the authorizing norms for its elaboration by the authorized body. The functions of the local self-government and inspection bodies have been specified.
Read also
Petros Martirosyan underlined that technical and clarifying amendments were made from the first to the second reading. Accordingly, the assessment will be carried out by the Environmental Protection and Mining Inspection Body. The addressee has been specified: Physical persons carrying out economic activity can cause damage to the atmospheric air.
During the Q&A session and speeches, the MPs highlighted the sorting of garbage, the availability of solid waste reception points, and other chemical substances’ landfills. The development of a rapid strategic plan for atmospheric pollution by studying international experience was underscored.
The MPs proposed to organize a separate debate and study the problems of the sector in more detail. The proposal was accepted by both the Committee Chair Vahe Ghalumyan, and the Head of the Inspection Bodies’ Coordination Bureau of the RA Prime Minister’s Staff Petros Martirosyan.
The debated legislative packages were endorsed by the Committee.
National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia
