Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia

print

share

The Draft Law of Georgia "On Biological Diversity" was approved during the Government Session.

The Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia has completed the work on the draft law "On Biological Diversity" with the assistance of the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA).

The draft law of Georgia "On Biological Diversity" was established to create the legal basis for fulfilling the obligations outlined in the Association Agreement between Georgia and, in its turn, the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community and their member states, aiming to harmonize Georgian legislation with the European nature protection policy.

It is worth mentioning that the state policy of European integration, first and foremost, entails moving closer to European regulation in a variety of ways. Accordingly, state agencies are actively working to fulfill those obligations, which ultimately make Georgia a full-fledged member of the European family and, at the same time, the country will have a modern, internationally recognized regulatory system.

As of today, 20 out of the 27 environmental regulations stipulated by the Association Agreement with the European Union have been adopted through legislative approximation, and the country is moving forward to approximate the remaining seven.
The draft law on biological diversity seeks to establish solid legal foundations for the protection of biological diversity, which should ensure the protection of the country's biological diversity, including the preservation and improvement of the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of species and habitats addressing their ecological, social, and economic functions.

Ultimately, the new law should ensure the use of biodiversity components and quantity in a way that does not lead to their decline in the long run and will help to maintain their potential.

With the adoption of the new law,  according to EU directives, a list of strictly protected and protected species and habitats - habitats of plant and animal species will be determined in Georgia and approved by the Government of Georgia. As for the national "Red List", it will become similar to the Red List of Threatened Species of the World Conservation Union (IUCN). Accordingly, the "Red List" will be a tool for describing and evaluating the state of populations of all species spread and found in Georgia.
At the same time, the draft law creates a legal basis for the establishment and management of the territories included in the Emerald Network in Georgia;

The draft law also addresses the issues of establishing and managing the biosphere reserve, determining the status of wetland areas of international significance, and establishing and managing the category of territories included in international networks on the territory of Georgia - UNESCO Global Geopark.

The draft law includes the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and conditions for accessing and using genetic resources.

The main part of the law is scheduled to go into effect on January 1, 2026, with specific provisions entering into force in 2027-2029.