This regulatory legal act introduces amendments to the Law of the Republic of Belarus of November 12, 2001 No. 56-Z “On the Protection of the Ozone Layer” in order to bring its norms into line with the provisions of the amendment to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, international treaties of the Republic of Belarus and the law of the EAEU.
According to the adopted Law, the conceptual apparatus is being improved, new terms and their definitions are being introduced (“hydrofluorocarbons”, “global warming potential”, “recovery of ozone-depleting substances”), the terms “ozone-depleting substances”, “neutralization of ozone-depleting substances”, “ozone layer protection” are being clarified.
The Government of the Republic of Belarus is granted, in particular, the powers to:
- define the list of ozone-depleting substances, including hydrofluorocarbons, the handling of which is subject to regulation in accordance with the Montreal Protocol;
- establish quantitative restrictions on the import of ozone-depleting substances into the Republic of Belarus and approve the procedure for their distribution.
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection is granted the rights to:
- approve the form of departmental reporting on the results of accounting for ozone-depleting substances, inventory of equipment and technical devices containing ozone-depleting substances;
- define the list of equipment and tools necessary for handling such substances.
The legislative act establishes obligations for business entities to reduce the use of hydrofluorocarbons, equipment and technical devices containing them, including the introduction of ozone-safe technologies, as well as processes of recovery, restoration, recycling and neutralization of ozone-depleting substances in order to reduce their consumption, and to keep records of hydrofluorocarbons.
In particular, it is envisaged that the recovery of ozone-depleting substances by legal entities and individual entrepreneurs must be carried out using special equipment that meets the requirements of the Montreal Protocol.
A ban has been established on the design, construction of facilities, implementation of equipment and technical devices that involve the use of ozone-depleting substances, with the exception of hydrofluorocarbons.
The said Law also stipulates that economic incentives in the area of ozone layer protection are an integral part of the economic mechanism for environmental protection and nature management and are implemented in order to ensure the reduction (cessation) of consumption and use of ozone-depleting substances.
It can be implemented by:
- establishing, in accordance with legislative acts, tax and other benefits for legal entities and individual entrepreneurs implementing ozone-safe technologies, as well as processes of recovery, restoration, recycling (recycling) and neutralization of ozone-depleting substances, including the import of equipment and technical devices for recovery, restoration, recycling (recycling) and neutralization of ozone-depleting substances;
- providing legal entities and individual entrepreneurs specified in the second paragraph of this part with state support in accordance with legislative acts.
The main provisions of Law No. 332-Z come into force six months after its official publication.
Information from the National Legal Internet Portal of the Republic of Belarus
