National Environmental Agency National Environmental Agency

The National Environment Agency is a legal entity of public law within the system of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia, which was established as an agency on September 1, 2008. The agency is an organization independent from state administration authorities, which operates independently under state control.

The Agency is guided by the Constitution of Georgia, international treaties of Georgia, decrees of the President of Georgia, resolutions and directives of the Government of Georgia, orders of the Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia, its Statutes, other legislative and by-law normative acts and individual administrative-legal acts of the head of the Agency.

Goals and main objectives of the Agency:

a) Establish systems for monitoring of ongoing meteorological, hydrological, geologocal processes and evironmental (ambient air, surface and underground waters, sea, soil) quality status on the territory of Georgia and ensure their proper functioning;

b) Collect and disseminate environmental monitoring data at national and international levels, including the global information networks;

c) Process environmental observation data, assess the state of environment and disseminate relevant information;

d) Within its competence, produce short-, medium- and long-range forecasts and issue warnings on expected extreme natural events and extremely high environmental pollution; provide this information to central and local authorities and mass media;

e) Monitor negative hydrometeorological and geological phenomena (snow avalanches, hail, fog, deficiency in precipitation, erosive/abrasive processes, landslide, debris flow, rock fall and others);

f) Study of physical processes of climate change, participate in elaboration of mitigation and appropriate adaptation measures against possible negative consequences caused by these changes;

g) Participate in implementation of state policy and strategy in the field of natural and anthropogenic hazards reduction;

h) Within its competence, participate in planning and implementation of natural and anthropogenic hazards reduction measures;

i) Determine the need for resettlement of population from hydrometeorological and geological disaster zones on the territory of Georgia, define and assess areas for resettlement of eco-migrants;

j) Facilitate implementation of preventive measures in high-risk areas;

k) Participate in risk assessment of hydrometeorological, geological and ecological hazards on the territory of Georgia;

l) Carry out hydro- and lithodynamic research of the Black Sea and river basins and forecast the processes in order to ensure sustainability of hydro systems; conduct hydro-biological researches of the Black Sea coast line, coastal zone and internal water reservoirs, develop recommendations, suggestions, methodical and other materials;

m) Within its competence, participate in examination of management plans (other than hunting and forest use management plans) developed in accordance with the exploitation licenses;

n) Within its competence, update information funds on quality status of hydrometeorology, geology and environment and develop databases by using state-of-art technologies;

o) Statistical processing of current and multi-year data on hydrometeorological, geological and environmental quality status and elaborate of relevant reports, bulletins, reviews and other reference materials;

p) Facilitate improvement of institutional capacity and establishment of early warning system for various extreme natural events;

q) Within its competence, provide service to users in the fields of hydrometeorological, geological and environmental pollution monitoring;

r) Carry out installation and repair works of equipment and telecommunication devices necessary for undertaking hydrometeorological, geological and environmental quality status monitoring; control precision of measured parameters;

s) Within its competence, in accordance with the legislation of Georgia, issue general license for forest use (including special license for timber production; special license for hunting farms), fishing license, use license for export of firs cones, snowdrop bulbs and/or cyclamen tubers included in the Appendices to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and conduct and coordinate relevant activities;

t) Within its competence, issue of strict accounting documents - license certificates;

u) Within its competence, maintain departmental license register(s);

v) Within its competence, approve quotes for extraction of natural resources for the license holder in accordance with established rule;

w) Elaborate state geological maps (geological survey);

x) Within its competence, fulfill Georgia’s international commitments in the fields of hydrometeorological, geological and environmental pollution monitoring and reduction of natural and anthropogenic hazards;

y) Review citizens’ applications, complaints and proposals and take relevant decisions regarding issues falling under the Agency’s authority, ensure close relations with public and mass media;

z) Plan and project marine infrastructure facilities and conduct researches needed for these works; developing sea and river bank-protection projects; conducting monitoring and ichthyological,  hydrobiological, microbiological studies and study of marine mammals in Georgia’s Black Sea continental shelf, territorial waters and special economic zone;

aa) Assess fish stocks at the Black Sea coast and inland waters of Georgia and establish quotas;

bb) Within its competence, draft normative acts and participate in drafting of normative acts;

cc) Popularize its own activities and implement various advertising activities in this direction;

dd) Preparate conclusions on cyclamen tubers and/or snowdrop bulbs grown on privately owned lands and keeping special register for this purpose;

ee) Within its competence, participation in determining priority directions of scientific-research works, elaboration of state programs and their implementation; cooperation with local and international scientific and non-governmental organizations, establishing relations with donors, elaborating project proposals and implementing projects;

ff) Within its competence, provide the Ministry’s respective department with information on the progress of projects funded from international sources, meetings planned within the framework of projects, implementation of commitments assumed under international agreements and actions undertaken in Georgia under the auspices of international organizations/processes, as well as with copies of national reports submitted to respective secretariats;

gg) Analysis and survey of fishing activities conducted by fishing vessels sailing under the flag of Georgia engaged in international shipping, review of the fishing reports, collect statistical data and provide respective competent authorities with relevant information;

hh) Authorization of vessels sailing under the flag of foreign country entering Georgian ports;

ii) Authorization of vessels sailing under the flag of Georgia engaged in fishing or fishing activities in territorial seas and exclusive economic zones (EEZ) of foreign country, also in high seas;

jj) At the request of the applicant, verification of catch certificates for vessels sailing under the flag of Georgia for the export of fishing products;

kk) Validation of notification on catch certificates issued by foreign countries and keeping records of the states and their competent authorities from which the relevant notification was received;

ll) Exercising other powers granted by the legislation.