Organisation of events planned for Year
of the Environment was the subject of discussion. Mr
Donskoy also briefed Vladimir Putin on work to update subsoil use
licensing procedures.
December 28, 2016
14:30
The Kremlin, Moscow
1 of 3
Meeting with Minister of Natural Resources
and Environment Sergei Donskoy.
President
of Russia Vladimir Putin: Mr Donskoy, we have declared next year
the Year of the Environment. This is to some extent just
a convention, because we cannot devote attention to literature,
culture, or the environment for just a year and then
forget them. But this convention does give us the chance to focus our
attention on the most serious issues and problems. How does your
ministry, as the relevant body in this area, plan
to organise this work?
Minister
of Natural Resources and the Environment Sergei Donskoy: Mr President, the Government already approved a programme
of activities for Year of the Environment
in the first half of this year. The programme includes
around 600 events at various levels. We are in the process right
now of preparing for these various events. We estimate the total
budget for these events at around 350 billion rubles.
The bulk
of these funds will come primarily from extra-budgetary sources, because
the programme includes work to modernise private companies too.
The regions, together with investors, will promote initiatives
to develop waste management systems. We moved the start of work
to implement this reform back a little, but it will start next year
and a number of regions are ready now and have already
started implementation.
We also have
the task next year of adopting the relevant Government decisions
on establishing new protected nature reserves and national parks.
The necessary preparation work for this was completed this year.
We will also be
putting the focus next year on regenerating forests
and on water purification.
Overall,
the work programme for Year of the Environment is divided
into eight main sections. They include Lake Baikal, major wildlife projects,
returning animals to the wild, and regenerating populations
of animals in danger of extinction. The project is
ambitious in scale.
Over this time,
in order to oversee this work’s implementation, we are signing
agreements with the companies so as to have an effective
supervisory tool for carrying out these activities
and the companies’ plans next year.
Overall, we hope,
of course, that everything we have planned for Year
of the Environment will be important and produce effective
and large-scale results for all who have an interest
in a clean environment and nature.
Vladimir Putin:
I don’t think there is anyone who doesn’t have an interest in this.
Sergei Donskoy: Yes,
that’s absolutely true.
Vladimir Putin: Good.
Is there anything else you wanted to say?
Sergei Donskoy: Yes,
I wanted to brief you on the work we are carrying out
on your instruction concerning one-off updating of subsoil resource
use licenses.
You gave
the instruction in 2015 to carry out this one-off updating.
The main task is to bring all licences currently held by subsoil
resource users in line with the laws in force.
Many
of the licenses were issued back in 1992 and were not
subsequently amended at all. By updating them now, we give them all
a common form, for starts, and we are updating too
the figures and information contained in the project
documentation too. The licenses that have been updated all share
a common form now, and the information that needs updating
in the project documentation is updated.
As at December 1, more than 4,000 licenses – 4,467,
to be precise – had been updated, of which 84 percent were for hydrocarbons
(2,380 licenses) and 2,087 licenses were for solid minerals. We have
thus updated practically 100 percent of all licenses that needed updating.
Let me say that this
one-off updating has enabled us to increase the number
of obligations set out in the licenses. We have set out
in the licenses project obligations for newly prepared projects.
The number of obligations the licenses set out has increased
by 25–30 percent.
We are seeing another
trend too. Previously, subsoil resource users withheld geological information,
seeing this as a commercial affair. We accord licenses
and subsoil resource use rights to the subsoil resource users,
but the resources themselves belong to the state, and so
the state authorities should have access to this geological
information too.
Companies all want
to have their licenses updated, and so they tend to be more
willing now to hand over the geological information because if they
do not do this, if geological studies are not carried out, or if licenses
have payment debts, we do not update the licenses. These were
the conditions set in accordance with your instruction.
Overall,
the licensing system is becoming more transparent and clear,
and investors have an interest in having this kind
of license. It is convenient for the state authorities too
in terms of inspections and relations in general with
the subsoil resource users. We think that the updating process has
made it possible to stabilise to some extent the amount
of geological investment over this period, taking into account
the noticeable current global trend for a decrease
in investment in geological exploration.
Let me note that over
the last three years now, we have at the very least regeneration
of hydrocarbon reserves. Currently, reserves have increased
by 575 million tonnes.
Gas reserves have
increased. With production at 572 billion cubic metres, natural gas
reserves are expected to increase by 701 billion cubic metres. Coal
reserves have also increased considerably, with an increment
of 502,000 tonnes and production at 387,000 tonnes.
We have
an increase in gold deposits of 1,194 tonnes, with production
at 293 tonnes, in other words, substantially more than
the production level. We have an increase in silver deposits
of 5,818 tonnes, with production at 2,440 tonnes, essentially twice
higher than the production volume.
In order
to move over to more systematic work now, we are drafting a law
on updating licenses. This will no longer be one-off process but
a systematic one, setting a timetable for ongoing updating work
and thus harmonising the system of relations between the state
authorities and investors.
Vladimir Putin: Mr
Donskoy, this updating work has turned out essential, it seems. It amounts
practically to renewing licenses.
Sergei Donskoy:
In some cases, licenses are subject to renewal,
and in other cases we simply formalise obligations that were not
in the license previously. In 1992, some licenses did not even
contain obligations to carry out work.
Vladimir Putin: Yes,
this must all be brought up to date, and it is important that
the subsoil resource users understand that this situation could not last
indefinitely. If they obtained licenses, they need to work, invest
the resources and organise production. If they are not doing this,
unfortunately, we will need to revoke their licenses. I think that
this will tighten discipline for those who choose to stay
and genuinely work.
Sergei Donskoy: Mr
President, let me add that we have already revoked more than 140 licenses
during this updating process, precisely in cases where companies were not
respecting the conditions and it was clear that no updating effort
would be of help.
Plus, we have not
updated all licenses in the situations I mentioned.
In cases when work is not being carried out, for example,
and when geological information is not handed over – and if work
is not being carried out, then there is no way of handing over geological
information. The same goes for cases where there are tax
and payments debts, in this situation too we do not update
the licenses.
This means that
as the one-off updating effort ends now, those of our colleagues
who did not get their licenses updated in time will work under
a system in which [federal environmental regulator] Rosprirodnadzor
will visit them and from there, if they do not take action to get work
underway, then, as you say, their licenses will be automatically revoked.
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