PROBLEMS OF EXERCISING THE RIGHT TO INFORMATION IN THE FIELD OF AGRICULTURAL WASTE MANAGEMENT IN UKRAINE

Abstract

The article examines the problems of implementing the right to environmental information in the field of agricultural waste management in Ukraine, taking into account the risks associated with war and the transformation of environmental legislation. It is established that this right belongs to the so-called third generation of human rights – collective, environmental, and solidarity rights aimed at ensuring sustainable development and environmental justice. The right to information about the environment, including waste, is a key instrument for sustainable development and environmental safety in Ukraine. The legal basis for access to environmental information on waste is enshrined in the Constitution of Ukraine, basic laws, and international agreements. The Law of Ukraine «On Environmental Protection» recognizes among the environmental rights of citizens the right to free access to information about the state of the environment (environmental information) and the right to freely receive, use, distribute, and store such information, except for restrictions established by law. However, special regulation in the field of waste management has only recently begun to develop after the adoption of the Law of Ukraine «On Waste Management» (2022), which provides for the creation of a unified information system and open registers. The article emphasizes that, in practice, significant obstacles to the realization of the right to information persist due to the lack of effective mechanisms for data access, low public awareness, terminological uncertainty, and the absence of a unified information infrastructure. An additional challenge is posed by military actions, which have led to a decrease in the area of agricultural land, the generation of significant volumes of «war waste», and the urgent need for prompt decision-making regarding its disposal. The article substantiates the necessity to develop special regulations on information support for the management of agricultural and war waste, harmonize Ukrainian legislation with EU principles, develop digital platforms for monitoring, and involve the public in environmental oversight.