The first round table in the format of a government-business-public dialogue was devoted to discussing three reference documents on best available techniques and management practices (BREFs), which are in place in the EU and have already been translated into Ukrainian for implementation in Ukraine. They relate to modern eco-modernization standards in the areas of energy efficiency, iron, steel, cement, and lime production.

In total, the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources, together with experts from the GIZ BAT for Ukraine, GIZ Energy Efficiency, and APENA 2 projects, have already translated 13 such documents. The work is currently ongoing. Indeed, in the EU, which is Ukraine’s goal, there are 32 reference documents on best available techniques and management practices (BREFs), 20 BATCs, and 2 REFs within the framework of Directive 2010/75/EU.

“Despite the war, Ukraine continues to move towards the EU, and the implementation of the Directive 75 is one of our obligations under the Association Agreement. Moreover, sustainable industry and reduction of environmental pollution is one of the elements of the European Green Deal. Of course, today Ukraine lives in a somewhat different reality due to the full-scale invasion by russia. We understand that due to constant missile attacks, our industry is operating at only 25% of its capacity. Each destroyed facility will have to be rebuilt from scratch. And today there is no doubt that post-war reconstruction should be based on modern “green” technologies in accordance with EU standards. This is emphasized by the President and the Government of Ukraine, and our international partners are paying attention to this,” said Ruslan Strilets, Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources.

According to the Kyiv School of Economics data alone, at least 109 large and medium-sized enterprises suffered direct losses as a result of the war in 2022.

Recovery requires significant resources that are difficult for businesses to acquire on their own. Launching a reform to reduce industrial pollution in Ukraine and implementing the best available techniques will make it possible to rebuild facilities and attract the necessary investments. After all, one of the key conditions for international financial institutions to provide funds is the achievement of European environmental standards.

Besides, European experience shows that the benefits of BAT implementation for both enterprises and the state as a whole exceed the costs of eco-modernization by more than 10 times.

Therefore, the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources is open to dialogue and is interested in understanding and acceptance of the reform by all stakeholders, as it determines its success.

For each of the BATs to be implemented, the Ministry will hold relevant round tables and set up separate working groups with representatives of government agencies, business, the public, scientists, and experts to effectively work on them.

Moreover, the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources is aware of businesses’ concerns about the significant costs of BAT implementation. Because of this, many of them are wary of eco-modernization. Therefore, the Ministry will organize a separate platform for dialogue to discuss possible and most optimal project financing instruments, which will involve business representatives and international partners.

Also last year, on the initiative of Ruslan Strilets, negotiations were initiated with the European IPPC Bureau to support the implementation of BAT conclusions into Ukrainian legislation, i.e. Ukraine’s accession to the Sevilla Process, which would allow our country to participate in the development and updating of BATs adopted by the European Commission.

“Today, Ukraine has a unique chance to start such work even during the war and to take a systematic approach to the further restoration of the industry and the country as a whole. A comprehensive dialogue will allow us to launch the reform in the shortest possible time and with the most balanced result for the green future of the country,” emphasized Ruslan Strilets.