Ukraine is preparing for the presidency of the Carpathian Convention, which will allow it to strengthen regional leadership in the field of environmental protection and sustainable development of the Carpathians.
In Zhytomyr, at the base of the State Environmental Inspectorate of the Polissya District, an expert meeting was held with the participation of the Deputy Minister of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine Ihor Zubovich and the Senior Program Manager of the United Nations Environment Program Pier Carlo Sunday. During the event, the parties discussed the status of the implementation of the Carpathian Convention and its protocols in Ukraine, as well as preparations for COP8.
The meeting was attended by the Head of the State Environmental Inspectorate of the Polissya District Yevhen Medvedovsky, acting Head of the State Environmental Inspectorate of Ukraine Oleksandr Subbotenko, representatives of the expert community and the public. The participants visited the atmospheric air laboratory, discussed the European Commission’s assessment of Ukraine’s implementation of EU environmental legislation under Chapter 27 in accordance with the EC report, noting the high compliance of Ukrainian standards with European requirements. The importance of preparing state institutions for the Eighth Conference of the Parties to the Carpathian Convention (COP8), which is scheduled for the end of 2026, was also emphasized.
After COP8, Ukraine will begin its annual presidency within the Convention, which will include chairing official and expert events, determining priorities for joint actions and initiating new environmental projects. The presidency will be an opportunity for Ukraine to strengthen its influence in the field of environmental protection and sustainable development of the Carpathians.
“Ukraine is consistently bringing its environmental management standards closer to European ones. Such meetings allow not only to agree on common approaches, but also to strengthen professional dialogue between the state, science, the public and international partners, as a guarantee of high-quality preparation for our presidency within the framework of the Carpathian Convention,” said Deputy Minister of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine Ihor Zubovich.
Following the results of the meeting, the parties agreed to hold regular expert discussions with the participation of representatives of the regions for high-quality preparation for COP8. Soon, the Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine will begin the official stage of interaction with international partners.
The Carpathian Convention (Framework Convention on the Protection and Sustainable Development of the Carpathians) is an international agreement signed in 2003 by seven countries: Ukraine, Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania and Serbia. Its goal is to ensure the sustainable development of the Carpathian region, the preservation of natural heritage, biodiversity and cultural values.
COP8 (Conference of the Parties 8) is the Eighth Conference of the Parties to the Carpathian Convention, the main governing forum of all States Parties to the Framework Convention on the Protection and Sustainable Development of the Carpathians.
