The Duma Committee on Ecology has prepared amendments to the draft budget until 2026

For the second reading of the federal budget for 2024-2026. The State Duma Committee on Ecology, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection has prepared a number of amendments. In particular, it is planned to allocate an additional 6.5 billion rubles. on the socio-economic development of new regions. Deputy Chairman of the Committee Alexander Kogan (United Russia) told Vedomosti about this.

In addition, the committee supported amendments related to the development of a project of work to eliminate accumulated environmental damage in new territories. In 2024, 200,000 rubles are provided, 50,000 rubles each. for each region – Donetsk People’s Republic, Lugansk People’s Republic, Zaporozhye and Kherson regions, follows from amendments to the budget (the document is available to Vedomosti). In 2025, funding under a similar article in the DPR will increase 5 times to 250,000 rubles. In the LPR, it will be halved – to 25,000 rubles. Total 375,000 rub. In 2026, 400,000 rubles will be sent to four regions, of which 200,000 rubles will be sent to the DPR, and 100,000 rubles to the LPR. In Zaporozhye and Kherson regions, funding will remain unchanged for three years.

In addition, the reserves of the federal projects “Clean Country”, “Clean Air” and “General Cleaning” have been distributed for three years. A total of 4.2 billion rubles, which will be used to eliminate objects of accumulated damage, such as Usolye-Sibirskoye and Krasny Bor, large unauthorized landfills, and the recovery and disposal of sunken ships, Kogan explained.

They also redistributed 1.8 billion rubles. to water bodies, Kogan added. These include the construction of hydraulic structures, clearing of rivers and lakes. Another 800 million rubles. It is proposed to use it for the construction of new waste management facilities and the creation of eco-industrial parks. RUB 39 million is allocated for carrying out calculations and participating in the preparation of justifications for the boundaries of the continental shelf. Also, additional budgetary allocations in the amount of 1.5 billion rubles were allocated for the second reading. to complete the construction of the Vostok station, Kogan concluded.

Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Ecology Vladimir Burmatov told Vedomosti that the new version of the Clean Air project provides money for regions that previously did not participate in this project at all. Financing waste management activities will make it possible to “reduce the severity of this problem in a number of regions,” Burmatov is sure. Regarding the Vostok station, the deputy chairman noted that this was a “fundamental” issue for the committee: “this is the prestige of our country, scientific and geopolitical as well,” he added.

In addition, according to Burmatov, it is also planned to allocate about 5 billion rubles. Roshydromet to increase salaries for their specialists, since the current amount of payments is “ridiculous.” “This department is key, its competencies are in great demand,” he explained.

It is planned to allocate 13.4 million rubles for the elimination of unauthorized landfills and the most dangerous objects of accumulated environmental damage in 2024, as follows from amendments to the budget regarding the distribution of subsidies to subjects. The largest amount is provided for the Moscow region – 3.3 million rubles, followed by the Omsk region – 2.6 million rubles, then the Kirov region – 1.7 million rubles.

6.7 million rubles are provided for co-financing of regional state programs in the field of use and protection of water bodies for 2024, the same document says. In 2025 – 5.9 million rubles, for 2026 – 5.4 million rubles. The committee also recommends the listed amendments for adoption.

Vedomosti wrote that in preparation for the consideration of the draft federal budget for 2024–2026. Before the first reading, the Duma Committee on Ecology drew attention to the reduction of a number of federal projects and state programs. In particular, funding for the federal project “Clean Air”, included in the national project “Ecology”, was reduced by more than 6 billion rubles. compared to the volumes approved by the budget law for 2023–2025.

“I would like to understand how, with such funding, the tasks set by the president to reduce the level of air pollution will be achieved?” – said the chairman of the committee Dmitry Kobylkin then. The largest reduction in funding among environmental projects in 2024 falls on “Clean Air” (reduced by 42%) and the federal project “Improvement of the Volga” (reduced by 12%), Auditor of the Accounts Chamber Sergei Mamedov confirmed at the meeting.

The press service of the Ministry of Natural Resources then told Vedomosti that the implementation of Clean Air is ahead of schedule – the total volume of hazardous pollutants has already been reduced by 11% against the target of 8%. By the end of 2023, a cumulative reduction of more than 12% is planned (with a plan of 9%). The bulk of funds for the implementation of Clean Air were provided to the regions in previous years – in particular, the federal government has allocated over 29 billion rubles to participating cities since 2018. for the transfer of private households from coal to gas or electricity, the closure or modernization of coal boiler houses, the greening of transport, the interlocutor at the ministry reported.

In addition, funding for the state program “Reproduction and Use of Natural Resources” was then reduced to 53.9 billion rubles. (by 3%) compared to the approved passport for 2024. Financing of the state program “Environmental Protection” relative to the approved passport for 2024 was reduced to 106.1 billion rubles. (reduced funding by 5.6%). Also, expenses for the implementation of the federal project “Clean Country” were reduced by almost 30% (RUB 16.4 billion in 2024).

Draft law on the federal budget of the Russian Federation for 2024 and the planning period 2025–2026. was adopted in the first reading by State Duma deputies on October 26. According to the document, revenues in 2024 are planned at 35 trillion rubles, expenses at 36.6 trillion rubles. The document can be considered in the second reading on November 15, in the third – on November 17.