Law of Georgia on Environmental Protection (No. 519-IS of 1996)

This Law regulates legal relations in the field of environmental protection and the use of natural resources between state authorities and natural or legal persons throughout the territory of Georgia, including its territorial waters, airspace, continental shelf, and exclusive economic zone. Its primary goals include establishing the principles for environmental legal relations, protecting the constitutional right to a healthy environment, ensuring the rational use of natural resources, and supporting the preservation of biological diversity and ecological balance. The Law provides a framework for addressing global and regional environmental issues and ensures conditions for the sustainable development of the country.
The Main environmental principles established by the Law include risk reduction, sustainability, priority of environmental interests, the "user pays" and "polluter pays" principles, biodiversity preservation, waste minimization, recycling, and the restitution principle. It incorporates the principles of environmental impact assessment, public participation, and accessibility of information. The Law outlines the powers of state bodies, including the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, in managing environmental quality, monitoring meteorological processes, and regulating the import, export, and transit of waste and hazardous chemicals.
Specific provisions address the protection of environmental components such as ambient air, water, land, soil, and the subsoil. The Law establishes requirements for the protection of the climate and the ozone layer, as well as the management of the "Forest Fund" and the safe use of genetically modified living organisms. It also regulates nuclear and radiation safety, environmental auditing, and the establishment of environmental standards and threshold limit values for harmful substances.
As per the latest amendments, the legislation clarifies the supervisory powers of the Ministry over the use of mineral resources and the monitoring of the radiation background. It also reinforces the obligation to increase budgetary allocations for environmental measures by at least 5% annually until the complete fulfillment of the obligations under the Association Agreement between Georgia and the European Union.