TECHNOLOGICAL DEFICIENCIES IN THE REGULATORY FRAMEWORK FOR SOIL PROTECTION IN UKRAINE

Abstract

Relevance of the work is due to the lack of independent soil protection legislation in Ukraine and the low quality of existing legislative norms and methodologies that are part of the land and land management regulatory framework. The objective of the work is to provide an agro-technological assessment of the provisions of the regulatory and methodological framework for soil protection, which is part of land legislation, as well as subordinate acts related to land management activities. Research methods involve comparing the content of legislative norms on soil protection with the actual needs in terms of formulations, powers, and the general subjectivity of this activity. The potential consequences of adopting certain laws have been evaluated. Additionally, the methodological norms approved by central executive authorities have been assessed for their compliance with well-known standards in soil science and agro-technologies. Virtually all legislative norms concerning soil protection in Ukraine are included in the land legislation (Land Code, Laws of Ukraine "On Land Protection" and "On State Control over Land Protection," among others). Legislative activities related to soil protection have proven to be unclear, inconsistent, and underdeveloped. The legislative framework lacks the State Soil Protection Institution (SE "Derjhruntokhorona") as a professional body for soil condition monitoring, though this task has been assigned to a different organization with another professional focus, namely the State Service of Ukraine for Geodesy, Cartography, and Cadastre (StateGeoCadastre). The abolition of the mandatory agrochemical passporting of state lands before leasing them deprives the state of the opportunity to record soil conditions and thus protect state interests. Activities aimed at improving soil conditions are unjustifiably considered land management projects (work projects). Their main content is agro-technologies, i.e., general agronomy, agrochemistry, crop production, horticulture, and viticulture. The list of agro-production groups of soils is incomplete, and the criteria for the value of especially valuable soil groups are absent. The assessment of the professional content of these issues indicates that the Ministry of Agrarian Policy, in cooperation with specialists from the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine (NAASU) and educational professionals, should be responsible for developing the soil protection regulatory framework. Practical value of the work lies in the detailed agro-technological analysis of the mentioned regulatory framework and the identification of its shortcomings. A conclusion is made, about the need to create professional soil protection legislation, and the main principles for the formation of such legislation are identified.