“Formation of European environmental values in Ukrainian society and ensuring the environmental rights of citizens should become top priorities for the state environmental policy,” -- Olena Kondratiuk
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine held parliamentary hearings on the topic: “Priorities of Verkhovna Rada’s Environmental Policy for the Ensuing Five Years".
The vice speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Olena Kondratiuk, who chaired the gathering, noted that the hearings are very important, as our country faces plenty of environmental problems. She also reminded that on February 28, 2019, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted the Law of Ukraine "On the key principles (the strategy) of the public environmental policy of Ukraine for the period until 2030", which is to enter into force on January 1, 2020.
According to her, one of the main goals of the strategy is utterly topical - formation of sustained European environmental values in the society - in particular, through the introduction of environmental education and upbringing, the implementation of sweeping awareness-raising campaigns.
"One of the priorities of the public policy should be not declarative, but the real protection of citizens’ environmental rights, an un-trammelled public access to justice in the realm of environmental protection and nature management," Olena Kondratiuk explained.
The parliamentary hearings have been initiated by the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Environmental Policy and Nature Management.
Ukrainian parliamentarians, representatives of the Government, central and local executive authorities, local self-government bodies, scientists, public and international organizations took part in the hearings.