The State Environmental Inspectorate has agreed with a number of proposals put forward by the Ukrainian Agri Council (UAC) in its appeal to the Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine regarding inspections of agricultural enterprises in frontline and de-occupied communities.

In particular, the parties agreed to jointly develop approaches to regulating environmental inspections in communities operating under heightened security risks.

Among the key proposals of the UAC:

• ensuring a unified practice of applying Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 303, which предусматривает restrictions on state inspections during martial law;
• applying a risk-based approach to environmental control in communities located near combat zones;
• prioritizing advisory support for farmers instead of imposing fines and damage assessments;
• introducing the possibility of postponing compliance with orders that require complex engineering solutions and capital investments, as well as defining criteria for such postponements.

At present, the Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine, the State Environmental Inspectorate, and the Ukrainian Agri Council have agreed to jointly develop the text of decisions and recommendations that will regulate environmental control practices for enterprises operating in frontline areas.

At the same time, thanks to the intervention of the UAC, a situation involving an agricultural enterprise in Kharkiv region (a UAC member), which operates near a combat zone and had received an order from the State Environmental Inspectorate to carry out capital engineering works within a short timeframe, has already been resolved.

The UAC appealed to the Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine to intervene, emphasizing that carrying out capital construction works in frontline communities is not only financially challenging but also dangerous for workers due to the threat of guided aerial bombs and FPV drones. After a repeated review, a follow-up inspection found no violations at the agricultural enterprise.

The UAC emphasizes that farmers who continue to operate under wartime conditions simultaneously ensure the country’s food security and support local economies; therefore, state control policies must take into account security risks.