Public hearings on the draft law of Georgia on biodiversity have ended

Public hearings on the draft law of Georgia on biodiversity, which started on November 27, 2019 at the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia, have ended. A total of five meetings were held as part of the public deliberations, including one general meeting, at which a general review of the entire bill took place, and four phased meetings, at which the draft law was discussed in chapters. Attendance at public hearings was free for all. Representatives of various agencies, non-governmental organisations, and stakeholders were involved in the public discussions on the bill. Comments and remarks submitted during public hearings should, as far as possible, be reflected in the final version of the bill.

The draft law on biological diversity was created to provide a legal foundation for Georgia to meet its obligations under the Association Agreement with the European Union and to align Georgian legislation with European conservation policies. 

Work on the bill began in 2013 with the financial support of the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ). The aim of the draft law on biodiversity is to ensure: protection and long-term preservation of wild plant and wildlife species; habitat protection and conservation through the development of an emerald network and the creation of protected areas involved in international networks; 

regulation of international trade in wildlife so as not to endanger these species; access to genetic resources and related traditional knowledge and equitable distribution of benefits derived from their use.