The Cabinet of Ministers approved new rules for the use of peatlands according to EU standards
The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has adopted a resolution establishing clear rules for the formation of land plots, their transfer for use and changes in their intended purpose in territories where peat deposits are present.
According to the notification of the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine, the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine, and the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine, the new rules will apply only to future decisions on land exploitation. The adoption of the document brings national regulation closer to the approaches of the European Union in the field of protection of natural settlements, restoration of ecosystems, as well as water and climate policy.
The basis of the updated rules is the creation of a special information sphere in the State Land Cadastre on a cartographic basis. This resource contains comprehensive data on areas near which peatlands are located.
Land managers are obliged to take this information into account when transferring territories into ownership or use, changing their intended purpose and directly managing areas that are fully or partially occupied by peat deposits. The resolution also clarifies the composition of agreements to which such territories belong and defines the permitted types of their use based on the natural value of the land.
“Peatlands are a natural resource that is important for both the environment and climate security… This will help prevent further degradation of peatlands, reduce CO₂ emissions, significantly reduce the risk of fires and bring Ukrainian land policy closer to European environmental standards”, — noted Deputy Minister Iryna Ovcharenko.
It is important that the new norms do not provide for an automatic revision of the established intended purpose. Owners and users are not obliged to re-issue documents for plots formed before the resolution came into force. Separately, the document regulates the issue of providing land plots to persons whose property was destroyed as a result of the armed aggression of the Russian Federation.
According to the relevant ministries, overwetted and swampy lands in Ukraine occupy about 5.4 million hectares, of which more than 3.3 million hectares have now been drained.
A significant part of these territories requires restoration, and the introduction of proper accounting and legal protection of peatlands aims to minimize climate and environmental risks.
