Vladimir Putin: Mr Trutnev, the Natural Resources Ministry has been charged with another highly important and large function, that of environmental supervision. How do you plan to organise work within the body you are heading?
Yury Trutnev: Thank you, Mr Putin. Firstly, I would like to congratulate you on the upcoming Environmental Workers' Day, which for the first time will be celebrated in Russia on World Environment Day on June 5. This will take place in line with the decree you signed in July 2007.
To mark the Environmental Workers' Day, Russia will get a brand new executive body, which will be in charge of environmental supervision. Today, all functions have been centralised within the Natural Resources Ministry and its subordinate bodies, such as environmental watchdog Rosprirodnadzor, technological safety watchdog Rostekhnadzor and Federal Service on Hydrometeorology and Environment Monitoring Rosgidromet.
On the one hand, it will provide new conditions for establishing a centralised and united environmental policy. On the other hand, it imposes a serious responsibility on us, and we realise this as well. In the immediate future, we are planning to begin the improvement of legislation. Proposals have been submitted, and we will report to you on the subject. So far I can say the reforms we plan to implement are based on decreasing officials' subjective decisions in the environmental sector, since today, unfortunately, inspectors for various organisations can set their own biased norms for emissions and dumping, making bargains with companies. Besides, we are convinced that the system of environmental fines should stimulate modernisation of production and environmental improvement, as well as decreased rates for electricity and water consumption, including reconstruction of the operating water treatment facilities. All these activities will be performed, and we will report the results to you. Considering the coordination period, we are planning to improve legislation within the year.