Legislation Update: Catching Up With the West
Environmental Law in East Europe
By Lynda L. Maillet

As Eastern European governments become more aware of the devastating effects of uncontrolled economic development in their countries, they are beginning to acknowledge the need to implement more stringent pollution control legislation. They have also experienced the wariness of foreign investors concerned about laws which might make them liable for environmental damage caused by the previous state management of firms in which foreign firms might invest (see E/W Letter, no. 2, 1992 for a more detailed discussion). For these reasons, the governments of Eastern European nations have picked up the pace in passing laws regulating the environment, although there is still a paucity of specific laws detailing what levels of pollution are allowable. The dire need for pollution monitoring equipment in these countries also makes it difficult for governments to specify pollution levels that firms must meet. Nevertheless, there has been legislative action, a review of which follows.

An environmental statement of cooperation and five accompanying documents were adopted 22 February by twenty-one East European and former Soviet countries. The agreement outlines the goals of cooperation, including measures to facilitate the exchange of environmental information. Among other things, they agreed to harmonize their environmental laws and standards and to collect and exchange information about the illegal transfer of toxic and hazardous waste to the East from Western Europe. The countries identified critical environmental areas which should be addressed through regional agreements. They include the radioactive contaminated sites of Chernobyl (Ukraine) and Semipalatinsk (Kazakhstan), the Aral Sea basin, Lake Sevan (Armenia), the Black Sea and the Danube and Dnieper basins, the Baltic Sea and its basin, and the Caspian Sea and its basin. The 21 signatories are: Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, The Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Latvia....

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