
On June 19, the Verkhovna Rada did not support the adoption of the European integration draft law “On ensuring the constitutional rights of citizens to an environment safe for life and health” No. 6004-d, which was supposed to implement Directive 2010/75/EC, which regulates industrial pollution. It was just one vote short of the required 226 votes.
On June 20, deputies adopted the draft Law on Integrated Prevention and Control of Industrial Pollution in the first reading (reg. No. 11355 dated June 19, 2024).
The members of Working Group 3 “Environment, Climate Change and Energy Security” of the Ukrainian National Platform of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum (UNP EaP CSF) and Working Group 5 “Energy, Transport, Environment and Climate Change” of the Ukrainian side of the EU-Ukraine Civil Society Platform (US CSP) declare a complete misunderstanding of the position of people’s deputies of Ukraine, whose voting led to the rejection in the second reading of one of the key European integration draft laws 6004-d. Moreover, the draft law was rejected for repeated second reading. The bill was not sufficiently supported by any faction of the Parliament! 75 deputies did not come to the meeting, and 74 left the session hall during the voting. Not a single deputy dared to vote against this key draft law, but as a result, three years of work by the Parliament and more than five years of efforts by the expert environment, in particular the non-governmental sector, were nullified.
Draft Law 6004-d “On ensuring the constitutional rights of citizens to an environment safe for life and health” is an integral part of Ukraine’s European integration obligations. It is aimed at implementing the requirements of Directive 2010/75/EU of the European Parliament and the Council of November 24, 2010 on industrial emissions (integrated pollution prevention and control), which was also provided for in the Association Agreement. Moreover, its adoption was an obligation of Ukraine within the framework of the recently agreed Plan of Ukraine for the purposes of the Ukraine Facility, therefore, a mandatory prerequisite for receiving budgetary assistance from the European Union. Reforming the sphere of industrial pollution will be one of the important requirements of the negotiation process within the framework of Chapter 27 “Environment and Climate”.
Despite the fact that the next day the text of the draft law returned to the Verkhovna Rada with a different number and was voted on in the first reading, we:
- We appeal to the President of Ukraine to pay attention to the situation, which threatens non-fulfillment of obligations under the Plan of Ukraine.
- We call on the parliamentary factions to analyze the situation and publicly explain the voting results.
- We appeal to the European and international partners of Ukraine with a request to pay the necessary attention to this vote and to promote a public dialogue regarding the consequences of this vote in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.
We thank the National Ecological Center of Ukraine (members of WG3 of the UNP) for preparing the appeal project.
We thank the members of WG3 UNP and WG5 CSP for discussion, providing additions and support.
Appeal of UNP WG3 and CSP WG5, 24.06.2024
For reference:

The Ukrainian National Platform of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum (http://eap-csf.org.ua/) is a network of more than 150 non-governmental organizations in Ukraine that advocates Ukrainian interests within the framework of the Eastern Partnership. The platform is part of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum (EaP CSF). The Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum is unique multi-layered regional civil society platform aimed at promoting European integration, facilitating reforms and democratic transformations in the six Eastern Partnership countries – Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine. Serving as the civil society and people-to-people dimension of the Eastern Partnership, the EaP CSF strives to strengthen civil society in the region, boost pluralism in public discourse and policy making by promoting participatory democracy and fundamental freedoms. The EaP CSF is a non-partisan bona fide non-governmental organisation.

The Ukrainian side of the EU-Ukraine Civil Society Platform (https://eu-ua-csp.org.ua/) is the national part of the Ukraine-EU Civil Society Platform, one of the official bilateral bodies of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement. In accordance with Articles 469-470 of the Association Agreement, the Platform officially represents the interests of civil society of Ukraine and the EU in the process of implementation of the Agreement, monitors and publicly controls its implementation. From the Ukrainian side, the Platform includes 15 members – representatives of public associations, trade unions and employers’ organizations. Under their auspices, the CSS unites 282 organizations.