Environmental and Social Management Framework (esmf)

Law on the Protection of Environment, 1999: The Law of the Republic of Azerbaijan on the Protection of Environment (1999) establishes the legal, economic and social bases for environment protection. The objective of the Law is to project environmental balance, thus: (i) ensuring environmental safety; (ii) preventing hazardous impact of industry and other activities to natural ecological systems; (iii) preserving biological diversity; and (iv) utilizing natural resources properly. The relevant clauses of this Law are:

• 
  Article 35. Ecological requirements set forth natural resources use.
  
• 
  Article 36. Ecological requirements set forth work protection.
  
• 
  Article 37. Ecological requirements set forth the placement (location) of enterprises, installations and industrial units.
  
• 
  Article 38. Ecological requirements set forth the construction and reconstruction of enterprises, installations and other industrial units.
  
• 
  Article 49. Protection of the earth’s climate and ozone layer.
  
• 
  Article 50. The objectives of the ecological expertise are to identify impacts on environment caused by industrial units, examine the results of such impacts and predict possible impacts, in accordance with environmental requirements and qualitative parameters of the environment.
  
• 
  Article 54. The units controlled by the State Ecological Expertise (SEE). According to Sub-Article 54.2, EIA is subject to SEE review and MENR is responsible for the review and approval of EIA reports submitted by project proponents.
  
• 
  Articles 81 and 82. Provide for the application of international agreements in case an international institute or body has provisions that are different from those in Azerbaijani legislation.
  

3. 
   “Law on Environment Safety” regulates actions of legal entities and individuals, state and local self-management bodies and their officials in the field of environmental safety in the course of implementation of their activities. The Law determines a legal basis for protection from threats caused by natural and human impacts in relation to human life and health, tangible and moral values of the society, the environment including atmosphere, space, water bodies, subsoil, soil, natural landscape, flora and fauna.
   
4.