The Legal Affairs Committee of the National Association of Local Authorities of Georgia (NALAG), in collaboration with the Regional Policy and Self-Government Committee and the Environmental Protection and Natural Resources Committee of the Parliament of Georgia, organized a working meeting with representatives of agencies responsible for natural resource management—the LEPL National Agency of Mines (Mineral Resources Agency), the LEPL National Forestry Agency, and the LEPL National Environmental Agency—as well as with the leadership of the Georgian National Energy and Water Supply Regulatory Commission (GNERC).
The meeting, held at the Parliament of Georgia, also involved members of the relevant parliamentary committees and senior officials of NALAG.
The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the needs identified through consultations with the heads of municipalities in the Kvemo Kartli, Mtskheta-Mtianeti, and Kakheti regions, and to deliberate on possibilities for legal amendments.
The issues presented by the committee addressed regulations governing the relationship between local and central authorities, which, according to opinions expressed during the meetings, in some cases create obstacles to the effective management of local resources by municipalities.
Alongside environmental protection issues, the meeting also addressed improvements to regulations in the energy sector, which would assist municipalities in operating more effectively.
Representatives of the participating agencies at the parliamentary meeting positively assessed the format of NALAG’s committee and expressed their readiness to work on refining legal mechanisms and deepening cooperation with municipalities.
As noted during the meeting, the Legal Affairs Committee will continue holding working meetings with both municipalities and other state agencies, facilitating the integration of locally accumulated experience and perspectives into the legal framework.