European Commission report: Environment and climate change chapter

The European Commission has released the Report on Ukraine within the framework of the 2025 EU Enlargement Package. Ukraine has received the highest assessments in three years and confirmed readiness to open negotiating clusters.

In particular, in the “Environment and Climate Change” chapter, which covers more than 200 EU legal acts in the fields of ecology, climate, and civil protection and is of great importance for bringing our country closer to European environmental standards, the following key steps have already been taken:

1. The Law of Ukraine “On Integrated Prevention and Control of Industrial Pollution” has been adopted and entered into force in August this year. It implements the provisions of Directive 2010/75/EU and establishes the basis for industrial enterprises to obtain an integrated environmental permit for each of their installations.

This will help reduce industrial emissions and thus lower the level of environmental pollution. Every enterprise obtaining an integrated permit will be required to operate in accordance with the best available techniques and management methods as defined by Europe. This procedure has already proven effective in the EU, and Ukraine is moving along this path step by step.

2. The following have been approved:

• the action plan for establishing a national greenhouse gas emissions trading system;
• rules for the technical operation of landfills, their reclamation, and post-operation maintenance.

Ukraine continues to work on implementing the European Commission’s recommendations to strengthen its capacity on the path to EU membership. In particular, a draft law on improving legislation in the field of drinking water supply and wastewater disposal has been submitted to the Verkhovna Rada for consideration.

3. The following have been submitted to the Government for consideration:

• the Concept of the State Target Social Programme for Improving Drinking Water Supply in Ukraine for the period until 2035;
• the State Target Environmental Programme for the Technical Modernisation of State- or Communally-Owned Wastewater Treatment Enterprises and Purification of Wastewater for the period until 2034.

These documents represent important steps towards implementing European standards in the field of environmental protection and sustainable development. Ukraine demonstrates its readiness to consistently fulfil its obligations within the European integration process and to actively work on harmonising its environmental policy with EU norms.

“The high assessment by the European Commission for Chapter 27 is the result of the systematic work of the Ministry team and our partners. Without a single ‘backsliding’, we are harmonising legislation with European standards and effectively building a new environmental policy for the state – from industrial pollution to climate adaptation. There is still much work ahead, but this report is a signal that Ukraine is moving in the right direction,” noted Yegor Perelyhin, Deputy Minister of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine.

Ukraine has already confirmed its readiness to consistently fulfil its European integration obligations, strengthening its position as a future EU member, and will continue to adhere to the state’s European integration environmental course.