Ukrainian Agri Council reports excessive pressure on farmers due to annual EIA requirements for Soviet-era irrigation systems

The Ukrainian Agri Council (UAC) has appealed to the Prosecutor General's Office over inconsistent enforcement practices regarding environmental impact assessment (EIA) requirements for old irrigation systems, the association's press service reported.

"The Prosecutor General's Office is requiring annual EIAs for systems built back in Soviet times that have not changed within their design parameters. Obtaining such a document costs around UAH 500,000 and takes at least six months," UAC Deputy Head Mykhailo Sokolov said during a working meeting with representatives of the Prosecutor General's Office.

According to Sokolov, in Odesa region law enforcement agencies insist on repeated procedures for facilities that have been in operation for decades. For farmers restoring operations under the difficult conditions of war, such financial and administrative burdens are disproportionate.

The UAC said that such law enforcement practices create artificial barriers to the development of irrigation, which is strategically important for southern Ukraine amid climate change and the consequences of hostilities.

The meeting was attended by Deputy Prosecutor General Maksym Krym and heads of leading business associations, including the European Business Association and the American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine.