First Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine – Minister of Energy Denys Shmyhal, speaking during an on-site meeting with Prime Minister of Ukraine Serhii Koretskyi, said that at the initiative of the Ministry of Energy, a draft law had been prepared to enable the free transfer of surface property of coal and uranium mines undergoing liquidation from state to municipal ownership.

According to him, the draft law will be submitted to the Government for consideration and to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine within a week.

“Subject to an initiative from local self-government bodies, this will make it possible to attract businesses and transform the territories of former mines into industrial sites,” Denys Shmyhal emphasized.

The First Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine – Minister of Energy said that implementation of the draft law would also help reduce the amount of budget funding required for liquidation projects and ensure the efficient use of existing mine infrastructure.

“At the same time, the Ministry of Energy, together with local communities, is working on a strategy for the just transition of former mining areas. Under a Memorandum of Cooperation between the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and the Ministry of Energy, a prospective development plan is being prepared for one of the mines currently undergoing liquidation. This is a pilot project that will result in a development plan for the former mine site and an assessment of its investment potential, including an estimated cost of the required works. The resulting plan will serve as a roadmap for attracting donors and potential investors to the development of former mining areas,” Denys Shmyhal noted.