Nationality : Georgia

Ms Maia Bitadze

Deputy Minister, Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources & Protection | Georgia

Member of the Advisory Board
Speaker at Session V | Agriculture, Environment, Use of Sources

Prof. Maia Bitadze, author of more than 12 scientific articles on Environmental and Human Rights Law, works on the issues of the Environmental Law for more than 15 years and currently holds the chair of the Deputy Minister of Environment and Natural Resources Protection of Georgia.

She graduated from Tbilisi State University International Law School in 1999 with Honors and was awarded with the Doctorate Degree in Law later, in 2007 after defending thesis in the field of Environmental Human Rights Law.

Ms Bitadze is the Associate Professor of the Environmental Law at Tbilisi State University and the Caucasus School of Law, she is also invited lecturer at the Georgian University and Grigol Robakidze University. She had worked as a legal expert for the various international organizations, such as are UNDP, OSCE and FAO, focusing on the Environmental topics. Ms. Bitadze has also hold the positions in the governmental institutions of Georgia such as the Parliamentary Committee of the Environment and Natural Resources and the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources Protection of Georgia, among them in 2011- 2014 she worked as a Head of the Legal Department of the Ministry.

Ms. Bitadze was engaged in various training courses during 2004-2008, including the “Human Rights, Law and Ethics” at the Central European University St. Budapest, Hungary; United Nations Law of the Sea Tribunal Summer Academy St. Hamburg, Germany; Introduction to European Community Law (EUSP), Tbilisi, Georgia; Study visit to the Council of Europe and the European Court of Human Rights. Strasbourg, France; European Integration Processes (UNDP), Tbilisi, Georgia; Workshop within the Stockholm Convention about National Action Plan – Ministry of Environment and National Resources Protection of Georgia, Tbilisi; the European Court of Human Rights Seminar-2004-Acts Law Institute, Tbilisi; Georgia legislative systems, in Tbilisi (UNDP); and Notary, Civil and Commercial Law – Ministry of Justice. Georgia, Tbilisi.

Ms. Bitadze is the Chair of the Bureau of the Meeting of the Parties to the Aarhus Convention and the Chair of the working group of the Parties to the Aarhus Convention and holds the position of the Deputy Minister of the Environment and Natural Resources Protection of Georgia since 2014.

Abstract

Challenges and Reforms of the Environmental Law from the Perspective of the Policy-Makers

 Enhancing Good Environmental Governance towards SDGs as one of the main environmental goals of the Government of Georgia. Updating the national legislation, implementing international commitments under multilateral environmental agreements and EU-Georgia Association Agreement, ensuring stakeholder participation in decision-making, and sustainable management of natural resources considering the “cleaner, greener, smarter” approach to the environment.

 Harmonization with EU legislation. Harmonization with EU legislation through proper planning and monitoring of environmental policies is a path to the EU integration process. In particular, a new Environmental Assessment Code and Environmental Liability Law will significantly improve environmental governance and thus contribute to the better implementation of the national and international obligations.

 Influence of regional cooperation for achieving local and international goals. Regional cooperation supports identification of common problems and promotes to set up effective measures e.g Paris Agreement, that will enter into force for Georgia in June 2017 and partnership on nuclear safety issues that contribute to the implementation of nine goals of SDGs.