Problematic provisions in environment bill cause vote postponement

The vote on the Environment Ministry’s draft omni-bill has been postponed until next week after receiving a barrage of criticism.

More specifically, the objections are focused almost exclusively on the subordination of control powers for water to the Regulatory Authority for Energy (RAE), while the main body of the draft law consists of a number of problematic regulations that further degrade environmental protection and intensify the urban chaos.

Apparently the decision to postpone the vote was taken in order to allow time for some changes to the draft law, which are already in the pipeline.

As it was reportedly pointed out to the ministry, the Recovery Fund has asked for separate authorities for waste and water and not their integration into an existing one.

Meanwhile, on Friday, six environmental organizations expressed their disappointment with the legislation in a joint statement.

“The regulations concern critical issues for the protection of the environment such as, among others, the burdening of all protection zones of Natura 2000 network areas, the clearing of forest areas, the excessive incentives for tourism facilities and renewable energy sources facilities and a series of fragmentary urban planning regulations,” they said, describing the draft law as “disastrous.”