Some reflections on improving the provisions of the code of Ukraine on administrative offenses in terms of increasing liability for violation of legislation in the field of protecting natural ecosystems from fires
The article presents an analysis of the current state of the current administrative legislation of Ukraine, which regulates relations in the field of environmental protection and rational nature management in the state. The author has analyzed the provisions of the draft Law of Ukraine “On Amendments to the Code of Ukraine on Administrative Offenses in relation to increasing liability for violation of legislation in the field of protecting natural ecosystems from fires” and a number of other bills. Their development and adoption is an important step towards bringing the current national legislation in line with European standards and norms, as well as further development of social and economic transformations in Ukraine in the environmental sphere. Also in this article the author indicates the feasibility of amending the Code of Administrative Offenses of Ukraine and other legislative acts in terms of strengthening administrative responsibility for violating fire safety rules, protecting the environment, preventing fires in natural ecosystems in the country. With regard to improving the efficiency of management of the sphere of protecting natural ecosystems from fires, the author points out the need to provide additional powers to the bodies of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine for the implementation of state control and supervision over the state of fire safety at forestry facilities. In this aspect, it is timely to develop and adopt a separate legislative act to secure the rights and obligations of the relevant officials to exercise such state control and determine the procedure for its organization. In addressing the issue of protecting natural ecosystems from fires, it is proposed to pay attention to the need to ensure strict adherence to the principle of inevitability of administrative responsibility for violation of legislation on environmental protection, eliminating the imbalance between the actual amount of damage caused to the environment and the amount of sanctions; an increase in the size of fines for setting fires in natural ecosystems, including for unauthorized burning of stubble on agricultural land (fields) by their owners.