The organs of local self-government and executive powers of the Carpathian region are deeply concerned with the negative ecological processes, which spread quickly spread, become more frequent, pressing and acquire offensive character. They are disturbed by the threat and unforeseeableness of the situation that makes them shoulder economic, social and ecological problems result from floods, storms, droughts and other cataclysms. Therefore many organs of local self-government and executive powers having bitter experience introduce effective measures on protection of territories from ecological threats, minimization of losses and elimination of consequences, showing initiative and innovative approach, gaining experience. They sincerely support initiative of Ukrainian delegation in the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe on the discussion of ecological question at the session of the Congress and approval of appropriate resolution. Decision on support of this idea was adopted during the previous and current years at about 20 international conferences and other forums, which were held both in Zakarpattya and other regions. Firstly it was done by the Council of the Interregional Association “Carpathian Euroregion” which members are 17 regions of 5 European countries. At the ecumenical conference “Responsibility for Creation and Sustainable Development of the Upper Potissya”, that took place in Zakarpattya, almost all confessions from Ukraine and surrounding states were represented. They together with representatives of organs of local self-government and research workers were unanimous in stating that God shouldn’t have been made responsible for the problems, but it is necessary to operate resolutely concerning protection of nature, having united efforts and possibilities of all state and public institutions for the rescue of the Carpathian mountains from a possible ecological catastrophe. Therefore one of the items of the approved resolutions is a proposition to discuss ecological situation in the Carpathian region at the meeting of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe. In fact only combining efforts of all countries, first of all Carpathian countries, it is possible to obtain positive results.

Thus conferences recommended on the basis of their experience and by own example to continue and intensify practical ecological actions concerning energy economy, rational use of resources, safe use of wastes and other nature preservation measures, and central and local authorities were recommended to provide further collaboration between research workers, churches, public and state organizations in the sphere of environmental protection, solving of basic ecological problems.

The necessity of co-ordination of actions of all countries for solving ecological problems of the Carpathians was recently confirmed at the meeting of members of parliamentary ecological committees of Ukraine, Slovakia and Poland (held in Uzhhorod, Ukraine), and conference of ministers for environmental protection of 5 Carpathian countries devoted to the analysis of Carpathian Framework Convention implementation.

The participants of the mentioned and other forums expressed their concern for the ecological situation in the Carpathians that is constantly becoming more complicated, and addressed parliaments and governments of the Carpathian countries to consider this problem and co-ordinate mutual efforts for its stabilization. It was thus emphasized the importance of local and regional authorities concerning this affair and direction of their efforts at the prevention, minimization and elimination of consequences of ecological phenomena. It was also informed about the positive results of collaboration evident from approval of Regional Complex Antiflood Program in the Basin of the Tisza River for 2006-2015 by neighboring regional authorities of Ukraine and Hungary. Ukraine and Slovakia began realization of joint project on town planning development of transfrontier region, and many other projects of bilateral and multilateral collaboration of ecological character are being carried out within the framework of the Interregional Association “Carpathian Euroregion”.

Possibilities of collaboration of regional and local authorities of the Carpathian countries concerning preservation of the Carpathian nature haven’t yet been used in full. Jointly with nongovernmental organizations they can take under control the realization of the governmental and intergovernmental programs, agreements, declarations, memoranda etc. concerning these questions; strengthen influence on general public’s consciousness involving them to the solving of ecological problems; co-operate at regional level in working out and coordinating ecological policy, providing information about an ecological situation; produce more effective programmes of actions under the conditions of extraordinary situations; activate participation in the public tenders, ecofriendly productions, forestry, agriculture etc.

Kichkovskiy M., Gamor F., Kushnir B. Land Close to the Sky. Uzhhorod : Karpaty, 2008