Тhe Verkhovna Rada has adopted the draft law No. 0199 “On Ukraine’s accession to the Minamata Convention on Mercury” as a basis and as a whole.
“The draft law was submitted to the Parliament by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as the importance of this document in the geopolitical, economic and environmental spheres cannot be overestimated. This is an international document that has been signed by 141 countries and is being ignored by russia. Having a clear political will and position, we are now establishing internationally accepted rules for handling this liquid toxic metal in our country,” said Ruslan Strilets, Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources.
According to the Minister, Ukraine’s accession to the Convention will help prevent situations like the one at the Radikal plant, where hundreds of tonnes of mercury were dumped in the open air in the Ukrainian capital. Ukraine will also be able to solve this problem with the help of international partners. Similarly, it will be able to solve problems with the whole “soviet legacy” – mercury residues at inactive post-soviet enterprises that used outdated technologies.
As a party to the Convention, Ukraine will have access to the dedicated resources of the Global Environment Facility, as well as technical and expert assistance.
“Today’s decision by the Ukrainian Parliament shows once again that despite the war, Ukraine continues to follow the European Green Deal and cares about its people and its environment. Step by step, we are closing the gap between us and the EU, and with each decision we are widening the gap with our aggressive neighbour. Because our path is the path of progressive actions and qualitative changes in the country,” stressed Ruslan Strilets.