The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has approved two draft laws aimed at strengthening administrative and criminal liability for breaches of waste management legislation. The documents were drawn up by the Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine in accordance with the Law of Ukraine ‘On Waste Management’.

The ‘Strengthening Municipal Waste Management in Ukraine’ (WM4U) programme has been involved in preparing the amendments. The programme’s experts took part in working meetings with representatives of the relevant ministries and provided suggestions on improving the provisions of the draft law amending the Code of Ukraine on Administrative Offences.

A significant proportion of the programme’s recommendations were taken into account during the finalisation of the document. In particular, these relate to increasing liability for breaches of public amenity regulations and waste management requirements.

Key changes include:

  • the minimum fine for members of the public for breaching town and village improvement rules has been increased from 340 UAH to 1,700 UAH;
  • for public officials and sole traders, fines will rise from 850 UAH to 6,800 UAH;
  • stricter penalties are being introduced for repeat offences;
  • the list of officials authorised to draw up reports on administrative offences is being expanded; in particular, it now includes representatives of regional state administrations and public public order inspectors.

The draft law pays particular attention to the development of the institution of public public order inspectors, which could serve as an additional tool for local communities in ensuring proper order in the field of household waste management.

The legislative amendments approved by the government are aimed at establishing a more responsible waste management system, reducing the negative impact on the environment and further aligning Ukrainian legislation with European standards. At the same time, the involvement of WM4U experts in the preparation of these documents serves as an example of practical support for waste management reform at the national level.