Ministry of Environment forms list of dormant licenses, plans inspection – Minister Hrynchuk

The Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine plans unscheduled inspections of licenses under which mineral extraction has not begun over the past 10 years, or less than 1% has been extracted, Minister Svitlana Hrynchuk reported.

"The issue of conditionally dormant licenses is a huge problem for the development of the industry. Together with the State Service of Geology and Subsoil of Ukraine and the Ukrainian Geological Survey, we conducted an analysis and assessment of all issued licenses and work being carried out on them. We have already formed lists of those where work has not started or less than 1% has been extracted over the past 10 years. For all these issued licenses where work has not started, there are specific lists for both solid ones and oil and gas, unscheduled inspections will be carried out," she said at the Question Hour to the Government in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on Friday.

The minister reported that work is also currently underway to allow scheduled inspections. She noted that otherwise it is impossible to effectively combat dormant licenses.