Presidential Decree No. 176/2004 validating the Regulation on the Ministry of Environmental Protection.

The Ministry of Environmental Protection is the authorized central institution having plenary powers in the sphere of environmental protection, ecological safety, nature reserves, and also hydro-meteorological activity. The main tasks of the Ministry are: 1) ensuring the realization of the state policy in the sphere of environmental protection, rational use, replenishment and conservation of natural resources (land, surface water, atmospheric air, forest, wildlife and vegetable kingdom, resources of territorial sea, continental shelf and the EEZ of the Ukraine) carrying out environmental monitoring, management of waste, pesticides and agro-chemicals, ecological and radiation safety (within the proper sphere of competence), nature reserves management, formation of the national ecological network, and also hydro-meteorological activity, rational use on natural resources (except for subsoil). The Ministry, within its sphere of competence, shall carry out the following functions: 1) realization of common scientific research in the sphere of environmental protection; 2) organization and carrying out the state environmental audit; 3) issue of authorization for special nature management (except for subsoil), sets limits and quotas for disposal of waste and hazardous substances, and also rates of emissions and discharge of pollutants; 4) provides for keeping record and registration of wildlife and plant species and keeping state water cadastre; 5) conservation of natural landscapes and biological diversity; 6) organization of the ecological education of citizens.