The Ministry of the Environment and the Nature Conservation Agency of the Chech Republic held the latest seminars scheduled in ten regions last week. The seminars were aimed at presenting proposals on legislative changes in the field of nature protection and strengthening the capabilities of institutions responsible for the conservation of biodiversity in Armenia.
In addition, during the seminars, issues of cooperation with the public, as well as issues of environmental fragmentation were discussed.
Among the participants of the discussions were representatives of regional administrations, the Inspection Body for Nature and Subsoil Protection, the “Arpa” Environmental Foundation, the Armles SNCO and others, as well as community representatives.
"We are discussing with our Czech and Finnish colleagues the possibilities of strengthening the legislation of the Republic of Armenia in the field of nature protection and biodiversity in order to fulfill the obligations arising from the CEPA signed between the Republic of Armenia and the EU. The preservation of biodiversity and natural ecosystems is a key priority of the Ministry, and, therefore, certain changes are needed in the legislation to effectively protect our unique natural heritage," Deputy Environment Minister Aram Meymaryan said.
"These ideas are presented in the draft legislative amendments proposed by Armenia, which reflect the EU Agreement (CEPA), as well as EU Directives on the Environment and Birds, as well as several international conventions (for example, Berne Convention) requirements. These proposals are constantly being discussed with the Ministry of the Environment," the head of the Twining program, representative of the Nature Conservation Agency of the Chech Republic David Lacina, said in his speech.
A package of proposals for legislative and institutional changes will be ready by the end of this year.
Ten seminars were held within the framework of the Twining program "Enhanced protection of biodiversity and sustainable use in Armenia in accordance with European Union standards", which is conducted by a consortium consisting of institutions from the Czech Republic, Finland and Armenia. The main goal of the program is to strengthen legislation in the field of biodiversity conservation in Armenia.
Detailed information about the program can be found at the following link: www.biodiversity.am.