Approximation of environmental legislation: on the way to EU membership

Abstract

Ukraine's candidate status for EU membership, granted in June 2022, should be a new turning point in the process of approximation, including environmental and climate change issues. The need to implement relevant environmental and climate change EU legislation can also become so called red lines ensuring that the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine is indeed green and based on the "build back better and greener" principle. Ukraine has already fulfilled a number of obligations that are key to becoming a full member of the EU, and is not starting from the scratch. The Government of Ukraine declares 64% fulfilment of the obligations in the field of environmental protection and climate change under the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement. There were and remain a number of political, legal, institutional and technical challenges in the implementation process, as well as the need for financial, human and other resources to speed-up the progress. However, Ukraine has gained unique experience, among other things, in the field of approximation, which can be used now, when the process of approximation of legislation should become much more dynamic and effective than at the times before the status of a candidate for EU membership was granted.