Reform of the system of conservation and restoration of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora: Ukraine on the way to the EU

by Environment People Law

This policy paper is devoted to the analysis of the regulatory, institutional and financial framework for biodiversity conservation in Ukraine in the context of harmonization of Ukrainian and European Union environmental legislation. The focus is on transposition and implementation of the requirements of the EU Birds and Habitats Directives, and on the prospect of converting the Emerald Network of Ukraine into the Natura 2000 network after Ukraine's accession to the EU.
The policy paper identifies key problems in implementing biodiversity conservation in Ukraine, such as lack of full transposition of EU Directives, fragmentation of the regulatory framework, weak institutional capacity of authorized bodies, lack of proper control and sanctions for violations of legislative provisions. The paper proposes several options for reforming the biodiversity conservation system in Ukraine, which include a combination of various regulatory and institutional solutions.