Poliana, Zakarpattia Oblast, Ukraine, 29 April 2025 – Over 60 representatives of Ukraine’s environmental sector gathered in Poliana, Zakarpattia Oblast, in the west of the country on 24 April for offsite meetings of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Environmental Policy and Nature Management and the State Environmental Inspectorate in Ukraine.

The discussions were held with the support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Ukraine, under the Environmental Damage Assessment project, which is funded by Sweden.

The forum brought together members of parliament of the committee, representatives from the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine, the State Environmental Inspectorate, other government bodies, and environmental NGOs. Key topics included the ongoing reform of Ukraine’s state environmental control system and recent high-profile cases of environmental damage – including the pollution of the Seim and Desna rivers, an oil spill in the Black Sea, and threats of fuel oil contamination along the Odesa coastline.

In her opening remarks, Viktoriia Kyreieva, Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine, emphasized the strategic importance of modernizing Ukraine’s environmental oversight system in the context of EU integration.

“Despite the ongoing war, we’re already seeing positive developments in the environmental control system,” Kyreieva said. “This forum is a key step toward coordinating comprehensive reform. Aligning the new environmental control legislation with other adopted frameworks – such as the law on integrated industrial pollution prevention and control – is critical. 

“We must also enhance the technical capacity of the State Environmental Inspectorate, and we’re grateful for the support from international partners, particularly through the UNDP-Sweden initiative.”

Olena Kryvoruchkina, Deputy Chair of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Environmental Policy and Nature Management, stressed the urgency of a full overhaul of the environmental control system.

“Reforming Ukraine’s environmental control system is a complex and large-scale task that requires collaboration and transparency at every level,” Kryvoruchkina said. “With the backing of partners like UNDP and Sweden, I’m confident we can bring our system into line with international best practices.”

Roman Shakhmatenko, Energy and Environment Portfolio Team Lead at UNDP in Ukraine, reaffirmed UNDP’s long-term support for Ukraine’s environmental reforms and EU integration efforts.

“Just last week, we supported the Government in conducting the first simulation of EU accession negotiations on Chapter 27 – Environment and Climate Change,” Shakhmatenko noted. “Aligning Ukraine’s environmental control with EU standards is not only a matter of enforcement – it also concerns prevention and restoration. This approach is especially vital now, as we factor war-related environmental damage into Ukraine’s green recovery plans.”

Media enquiries:

Yuliia Samus, UNDP Ukraine Head of Communications; e-mail: yuliia.samus@undp.org