This Law establishes the legal and economic framework governing the collection, transportation, storage, accumulation, treatment, recycling, recovery, disposal, neutralization and burial of waste, and regulates other relations relating to waste management. It applies to production and consumption waste, including waste generated through subsoil use, and aims to prevent adverse effects on human health and the environment. The Law excludes radioactive waste and certain substances regulated under other legislation. The document defines the principal concepts used in the waste management sector, including hazardous waste, municipal solid waste, waste classification, waste passports, waste disposal facilities, transboundary movement of waste, waste cadastre and waste hierarchy. It sets out the main objectives and principles of state policy in the sector, including the reduction of waste generation and hazardous characteristics, protection of human health and the environment, efficient use of material and energy resources, application of the waste hierarchy and waste sorting. The Law establishes the powers of the Government, the competent environmental authority, health authorities, territorial administration bodies and local self-government bodies in relation to waste management. It provides for the regulation of hazardous waste activities, including licensing requirements, and establishes rules concerning waste accounting, classification, passportization, statistical reporting, maintenance of the state waste cadastre, registers of waste generation, recovery and disposal facilities, and monitoring of waste disposal sites. The Law further sets out the rights and obligations of individuals, legal entities and individual entrepreneurs involved in waste management. It provides for economic measures aimed at waste recovery and reduction of waste generation, including incentives for low-waste technologies, recovery of secondary resources, waste sorting and targeted financing measures. The Law also contains provisions regarding supervision and liability for violations of waste legislation.
Armenia · 2004-11-24