The Guide to the Forest Legislation of RA is the first attempt of complex commentary of the Forest Code of RA and relevant provisions of other legal acts forming the system of RA forest legislation. It also presents proposals on amendments and additions to the commented provisions.
The Guide is designed for those working in legislative, executive and judicial systems, organizations engaged in nature conservation, forestry and business. The publication may also be useful for lecturers and students of higher education institutions and those interested in nature conservation.
This publication has been produced with the assistance of the European Union. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of Environmental Public Advocacy Center (EPAC). The contents can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the Implementing Organizations.
The guide was prepared and disseminated by the Environmental Public Advocacy Center NGO. The authors of the Guide are the Head of the Center A. Iskoyan and research fellows H.Hakhverdyan and G. Movsisyan.
The guide is available at the Environmental Law Research Center as well as in the libraries of Armenia.
ELRC is currently completing the Environmental Law Textbook of the Republic of Armenia.
The handbook is being elaborated based on the Syllabus of Environmental law for Bachelor Degree students.
The handbook comprises the following issues;
1. Development, sustaining of Environmental law and tendencies of improvement in Armenia.
2. The legal framework of the institute of Environmental Law.
3. The main obstacles on the way of implementing Environmental legislation.
It is envisaged to publish the Textbook within 2013.
Environmental law research center in cooperation with the OSCE Yerevan Office and Office of Human Rights Defender of Armenia carried out research on the state on realization of human environmental rights in the Republic of Armenia. It covers legal matters of procedural environmental rights, that are right to access to information, rights to participate in environmental decision-making and access to justice in environmental matters. There was a simultaneous review of environmental liability system functioning with regard to its role in securing effective execution of human rights.
The key outcomes of the research have been summed up by outlining the achievements and subjective and objective obstacles. The obstacles of the right to access to justice have been decoupled accordingly; objective obstacles- gaps in environmental legislation or insufficient institutional capacity (e.g. technical and technological capacity, human resources) and subjective obstacles- groundless limitations of access to information by public authorities where the public authority possesses the information and etc.
While discussing legal matters if public participation in environmental decision-making a special reference has been made to the headwinds encountering the public from effective participation. In particular, the main findings on the impediments are as follows;
1. There is a lack of differentiation of the obligations of public authorities in organization of public hearings,
2. One may not form clear understanding of the process of Environmental impact assessment based on the analysis of legal provisions. Thus it indirectly affects the involvement of public in decision-making at an early stage.
3. The provisions of substantial environmental legislation are not backed by norm-guaranties stipulating administrative liability for public authorities responsible to carry out appropriate organizational activities.
The analysis on access to justice in environmental matters through the administrative and civil procedures revealed the shortage of cases and the need to ensure the compliance of procedural environmental law to the nature of environmental rights.
The aforementioned research hasn't been published, however ELRC initiated a new research to be completed within 2013.
The presented collection is a third attempt to systemize the legal acts designed to regulate public relation of environmental protection. It comprises normative legal acts which are classified based on the subject of the regulation and the hierarchical interconnection.
The collection can be useful for those working in the legislative, executive and judicial systems, as well for lecturers, students and for the rest who is interested in the legal matters of environmental protection. ELRC expresses its gratitude to the OSCE Yerevan Office for assistance in publication.Today, the candle lighting in memory of the 1.5 million innocent victims of the Armenian Genocide was organized in the foyer of YSU main building.
25 higher educational institutions founded in Yekaterinburg the University League of the Collective Security Treaty Organization.
April 22 is The Earth Day, so the environmentalists once again raised the environmental issues.
The presentation of the book “If we remain silent, the stones would cry out” was held at YSU today. It is based on the memories of the Genocide survivor Hrachya Gevorgyan.
On April 6-12 YSU students participated in the International Youth Forum “Lomonosov 2014”.