The
RA National Assembly passed the draft on amendments to the RA law on
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) in the second reading, ignoring the protest of environment
protection and civil activists.

The
environment protection activists claim that RA President does not ratify it and
send it back to the National Assembly, where they will submit their practical recommendations.

The
draft onthe amendments to the RA law on Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is being discussed for
more than a year in various environmental meetings. The deputies of “Heritage”political
party also expressed their dissatisfaction with the amendments.

The
wave of dissatisfaction particularly raised in the end of October 2011, when
the law was brought up for discussion in the National Assembly. The environment
protection activists were again on the losing side as the law was totally
ratified in accelerated procedure within 2 months.

 “I am sure, that they would make amendments to
this law after some time, as it cannot function in this form”, says the lawyer
of Environmental Law Resource Center of YSU Faculty of Law.

To
remind, this law restricts the actions of ordinary people and civil activists.
They cannot take part in any action of environmental impact assessment and
choose experts who would present their point of view.

According
to the law, the conclusion of the assessment is not considered a legal act,
thus it is impossible to dispute in the court of law.

The environment protection
activists claim their constitutional right to be maintained. According to
Article 83.5 of the RA Constitution the issues below shall be set forth
exclusively by the laws of the RA terms and procedures for the exercise and
protection of the rights by natural persons and legal entities. Thus that
procedure had to be included in the draft, but it is absent.

The
appeal of the environment protection activists was accepted in the office of
the RA President on February 14. The President will either sign the draft law
or send it back to the National Assembly.

Photo
by-Yervand Karapetyan

Karine Ionesyan

The video material is made within the
frameworks of seminar “Media for the human rights activists: tools and skills “organized
by Internews.