The chairman of the Milli Majlis Committee for Natural Resources, Energy and Ecology Sadig Gurbanov said at the first committee meeting in the current spring session on 25 January that its agenda consisted of four items with the first two being the 2021 autumn session performance report and the work plan for the current session.

The other two items were the separate sets of draft amendments to the Gas Supplies Law and the Code of administrative Offences.

First, the committee chairman tabled the report about the work done during the past parliamentary session, noting that there had been ten committee meetings called to look at 14 matters. Whilst touching on the draft laws that had been submitted for consideration of the committee, Mr Gurbanov mentioned the MPs’ having been active in the realm of legislation as well as in the public and political developments and their having commented on environmental problems in the press.

At the same time, Mr Gurbanov and the members of his committee were taking part in the country and international events and several meetings – of the inter-parliamentary connexions working groups they are members of as well as on other platforms. Also, the MPs on the committee attended the 44-day Patriotic War shahids’ wakes and were immediately involved with solving the problems and concerns of shahid families and gazies.

The committee received 198 citizen, state and corporate applications and requests in that period; the whole inbound correspondence was processed duly, and appropriate steps were taken then.

Moving on to the 2022 spring session work plan then, Sadig Gurbanov said that it envisaged the processing of draft laws and other incoming documents as well as discussions with the specialist offices of the enforcement status of the ecology and energy legislation and of other top issues in those areas.

 The MPs Naghif Hamzayev, Nasib Mahamaliyev and Iltizam Yusifov said during the debates that they found the work that the committee had done last session to be worthwhile. They also commented on the action diary of the current session having retained the issues of solid waste management, water-related problems, the present-day condition of the Hajikabul Lake, poaching and rational use of soils.

The deliberations resulted in the endorsement of the report on the last session of 2021 and the adoption of the to-do programme for the current one, whereafter the committee turned to the already-mentioned Bills.

Mr Gurbanov pointed out that both documents were intended to streamline the existing legislation to avert carbon monoxide poisonings and gas explosions. He quoted the relevant lethal and non-lethal statistics, adding that the amendments constituted a response to the public order. The committee chairman stressed the need to inspect gas installations  and mains, and chimneys with their subsequent technical adequacy determination. It is as pressing a job to respond to adverse situations promptly and increase the responsibility of the gas distributing organisations.

The amendments to the Gas Distribution Law envisage a transfer, from the state authorities to the gas distributing organisations, of the inspection and maintenance authority with regards to gas devices and mains, chimneys as well as ventilation and blow-through circuits. This context brings forth a number of amendments, new terms and rules.

Speaking of the amendments to the Code of Administrative Offences, they consist in the new paragraph 279.0.1–1 to be added to Article 279. The new paragraph is specifically about the observance of the maintenance regulations pertaining to gas installations and lines, chimneys, ventilation lines and blow-through circuits.

Also, the new edition of Article 542 envisages fines for failure to comply with requirements of the executive authority that controls gas supplies.

Comments came from the MPs Naghif Hamzayev, Iltizam Yusifov, Nasib Mahamaliyev and Afat Hasanova. Questions were asked. The MPs mainly viewed the amendments through the prism of the consumer rights and interests; they also spoke of their practical implementation, clarification of the relevant responsibilities and identification of building proprietors.

The heads of the legal departments of the Ministry of Energy and the Azerigas PA, Ibrahim Agayev and Vugar Eyvazov, and the head of the Economic legislation department of the Milli Majlis Staff Muhammad Bazigov answered the legislators’ questions and clarified the matters they had brought up.

It was recommended ultimately to bring both Bills before the Milli Majlis at the scheduled plenum.

The MPs Anar Mammadov and Aliabbas Salahzade as well as other officials took part in the committee meeting as well.

The Press and Public Relations Department 
The Milli Majlis