The Ecology and Natural Resources Ministry has suspended issuing permits to explore and produce amber, and the ministry will only resume issuing permits after a law which regulates amber production in Ukraine is passed.

The decision was made at an extraordinary meeting of the ministry's commission for issuing permits to use deposits, which was held on July 17.

"There is no transparent scheme for issuing permits now, and cabinet resolution No. 615 is in effect that permits providing fields for exploration without holding an auction. There is no legal production and there is no one to punish [for infringements in amber production]," Deputy Ecology and Natural Resources Minister Svitlana Kolomiyets said at a press conference in Kyiv on July 17.

She said that over the last several years, companies have not asked for permits to exploit and produce amber. However, in the last few weeks, several companies have said they want to receive a permit to explore fields.

The ministry has only issued one permit which was then withdrawn due to the protests of the public and lawmakers.

Kolomiyets said that five to seven applications for amber exploration permits have been filed.

She said that at present, legal amber production compared to illegal production is very small, giving as an example Amber Ukraine enterprise, which extracts small amounts of amber with a permit.

She said that the licenses which have already been issued will not be revoked.

Kolomiyets said that representatives of the ministry are actively taking part in elaboration of draft law No. 1351-1 on the production and sale of amber which the parliament passed at first reading in April 2015.

According to the bill, the use of amber resources must be paid for and the fee is established by the Tax Code.

The bill foresees that the users of amber resources can be enterprises, institutions, organizations, citizens of Ukraine and foreign legal entities and citizens.