The Government Council on Wednesday approved a legislative proposal to amend key environmental laws, aiming to streamline administrative procedures and accelerate housing construction while balancing urban development with nature conservation.
On Wednesday, the Government Council approved a legislative proposal to amend the 2018 Nature Protection Act, aiming to speed up housing construction. The proposal also includes changes to the 2023 Forest Act and the 2004 Municipal Planning and Urban Development Act. These reforms are designed to simplify administrative procedures and address the housing crisis by easing regulations in urbanised or soon-to-be urbanised areas.
One key aspect of the bill is the removal of the requirement to compensate for certain biotopes within urban zones, under the 'temporary nature' concept. This approach intends to balance nature conservation with urban development by lifting the obligation to provide on-site compensation for species' habitats.
The bill also expands exemptions for the protection of nationally protected species, streamlining the approval process for construction projects by removing the need for specific mitigation measures. Additionally, compensatory interventions for habitat loss can now take place in the nearest available compensatory pool, further easing the regulatory burden.
Another significant change is the replacement of the ecological compensation system for roadside and public square trees. Under the new rules, when trees are removed for public health or utility reasons, they will simply be replaced with new ones, eliminating the need for more complex compensatory measures.
Exemptions related to plant and animal protection will also become easier to obtain. For small-scale projects, the Nature and Forest Agency will no longer be required to produce an ecological balance, and certain actions – such as changing the use of ornamental parks – will no longer need formal authorisation.
The bill also reintroduces the action for judicial review in administrative courts, allowing them to directly modify decisions in favour of citizens.
Alongside these reforms, a further series of administrative simplifications are being introduced for green spaces, aiming to facilitate urban development while preserving environmental quality.
