During an expanded meeting of the Committee on Subsurface Resource Use at the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, issues important to legal amber miners were discussed. In particular, the discussion focused on state oversight of subsoil users’ operations, issues regarding access to land plots, and a reevaluation of the approaches taken by regional state administrations.
The following individuals participated in the open meeting: Alona Shulima, Chair of the Committee on Subsurface Resource Use at the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Oleg Bondarenko, Chair of the Verkhovna Rada’s Environmental Committee; Yegor Perelygin, Deputy Minister of Economy; and Serhiy Vlasenko, Acting Serhiy Vlasenko, Acting Chairman of the State Agency for Geology and Subsurface Resources.
The issue of inspections of subsoil users was considered in the context of violations by amber miners, which the National Police discovered after the searches.
Following the start of the full-scale invasion, the State Geological Service may conduct only unscheduled inspections based on a court order, a citizen’s complaint, or in the event of emergencies or violations, said Vasyl Stryzhak, head of the State Geological Service’s Geology Department, during the discussion. Scheduled inspections are not being conducted.
Oleg Bondarenko, chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Environmental Policy and Natural Resource Use, said that members of parliament will insist on resuming inspections.
«We will once again appeal to the government to resume inspections in areas not affected by hostilities. This is necessary both in terms of subsoil use and state environmental oversight,» said Oleg Bondarenko.
Thus, these inspections will support businesses that comply with the law. These inspections will not place undue pressure on businesses operating in good faith, but will help the government identify areas where work is being carried out in violation of the law.
Separately, the Ukrainian Amber Miners Association noted the issue of land plots. After obtaining a special permit, a company must secure access to the land; however, differing interpretations of Article 97-1 of the Land Code, delays in concluding standard agreements, and varying practices among regional state administrations can hinder the operations of legal extractors.
For the companies within the «Amber Galbin» Group that are engaged in the legal extraction of amber, these issues have direct practical implications. Access to land plots affects the ability to carry out planned work.
Alona Shulima, Chair of the Committee on Subsurface Resource Use at the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry noted that some regional military administrations do not view the land-related powers granted to them as work in the interests of the state. They consider it to be a business matter.
The amber industry needs transparent and predictable regulations. These will promote the development of legal industrial mining.