At its June 18 session, the Standing Committee on Territorial Administration, Local Self-Government, Agriculture and Environmental Protection of the National Assembly reviewed, in the second reading, the legislative package proposing amendments and supplements to the Law on Specially Protected Nature Areas and related laws and issued a positive opinion.
The National Assembly has decided to hold the second-reading discussion of the legislative package within 24 hours following its adoption in the first reading.
The draft envisages comprehensive sectoral reforms aimed at clarifying the legal framework governing the establishment, protection, use, and management of specially protected nature areas.
In particular, the draft proposes the introduction of the Category V “Protected Landscape” designation under the classification system of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). According to the draft, protected landscapes are established in areas possessing environmental, cultural, or aesthetic value. These may include both natural environments and landscapes shaped by human activity that are important to preserve and restore.
The primary objectives of these areas are the conservation and restoration of nature and environmental values, as well as the promotion of scientific research and environmental monitoring.
The draft also envisages the involvement of local self-government bodies in the management of specially protected nature areas. It introduces a set of instruments aimed at improving the investment environment for natural monuments and adjacent areas, enabling both communities and legal entities to manage natural monuments through a competitive selection process.
The legislative package further stipulates that specially protected nature areas may be granted development rights exclusively for the implementation of investment projects.
The adoption of the package will also clarify the legal foundations governing the establishment, management, and statutory regulation of botanical gardens, dendroparks, and forest parks, contributing to a more unified and predictable system for their conservation, use, and operational management.
It should be noted that the draft law on amendments to the Law on Specially Protected Nature Areas, together with the accompanying package of draft laws, was discussed in the first reading during the National Assembly’s session dated on June 17.
June 19, 2026 at 17:48