A total of 105 Armenian civil society organizations recently issued a joint statement demanding the withdrawal of a package of legislative amendments proposed by RA Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure concerning subsoil use and environmental impact assessment (EIA). According to the CSOs, the proposed amendments threaten local democracy by stipulating that a community council’s preliminary objection would no longer prevent the acceptance of a package of mining-related documents.
Based on the same statement, a formal letter of appeal was sent to the relevant state authorities. In response to the appeal submitted on November 5, 2026, the Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Armenia sent an official letter to Oleg Dulgaryan, President of Center for Community Consolidation and Support NGO.
The letter, signed by Arman Avetisyan, Acting Secretary General of the Ministry, states that the first and second points of the civil society appeal—concerning the withdrawal of the controversial package of draft amendments and an investigation into possible grounds for bias within the authorized state body—have been forwarded to the competent authority, the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure of the Republic of Armenia.
Regarding the third point of the appeal, which calls for the development of new amendments to EIA legislation aimed at expanding and strengthening public participation, the Ministry of Environment states that a review of RA Law “On Environmental Impact Assessment and Expert Examination” is planned. All interested parties, including civil society representatives, will be involved in discussions on revising the law in accordance with the procedure established by legislation.
RA Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure is expected to provide a further response to the main demands referred to it.
November 13, 2026 at 17:37