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

The Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, Levan Davitashvili opened a new environmental testing laboratory of the National Environmental Agency, where air, water and soil analysis will be conducted.This is an exclusive laboratory in Georgia that has undertaken monitoring of the quality of the environment since 60s of the previous century and is comprised of unique databases. The new laboratory meets the international standards and is equipped with modern equipment. The laboratory is accredited in compliance with the international standard "ISO / IEC 17025".
"It is very important to have a similar laboratory and environmental activities to be in compliance with the environmental policy developed by the Ministry. Environmental testing of atmospheric air, rainfall, groundwater, surface and wastewater and soil samples are introduced in the laboratory. More than 300 parameters are defined.The latest methods comprising different directions will be introduced in the lab.: namely, determining the components in the atmospheric air in accordance with the EU directives, Implementation of the objective tasks will help to improve the quality of air, water and soil, on the basis of which environmental condition will be further improved "- stated Levan Davitashvili.
The representatives of the international diplomatic corps, governmental and non-governmental sectors attended the opening ceremony. The new methodology will be introduced in the laboratory, which will define new parameters envisaged by the relevant EU Directives in order to improve and expand environmental pollution monitoring system. Analysis of packaging materials will be introduced, determining physical and chemical properties of oil and oil products. Furthermore, a number of surveys will be carried out to identify asbestos fibers of lead and sulfur content.
Inquiry-based laboratory investigations include to determine the risk of solid and liquid waste, packaging materials quality studies.  A database of asbestos materials will also be created and full-scale studies of water, atmospheric air and ground quality will be provided.
Under the frame of the ‘’European Union Water Initiative Plus for the Eastern Partnership’’ (EUWI+ 4 EaP) the laboratory will be equipped with modern technology in the near future, by means of which the concentrations of priority pollutants established under the Water Framework Directive will be determined, which is crucial in terms of the obligations taken by Georgia according to the requirements of the Association Agreement with the EU.