Legal Regulation of the Field of Bioenergy in Ukraine

Abstract. The article is devoted to the study of the current state of domestic legal regulation of bioenergy and the prospects for its improvement. The production and use of renewable energy in various industries and sectors pursues the goal of ensuring energy independence and security, decarbonization, achieving the maximum level of climate neutrality etc. Further development of the domestic field of bioenergy is impossible without the implementation of a complex of interrelated measures. These measures are aimed at modernization of the material and technical base, training/retraining of specialists, attraction of investments, improvement of regulatory and legal regulation, implementation of European norms. The field of bioenergy is regulated by the norms of numerous legal acts of different branches of legislation and of different legal force. The criteria for the classification of regulatory acts regulating the field of bioenergy can be the sectoral affiliation of the legislation, the field of biomass energy use, and the type of biomass used. Each type of biomass is characterized by a number of features related to the processes of cultivation, procurement, sale and use. These features require special legal regulation. Such regulation is also required by the specificity inherent in different types of biofuel. Segments of bioenergy that require both adoption of new and amendments to current legislation are primarily those that have the most potential and promising types of biomass for use in Ukraine, namely: cultivation and use of energy plants for energy production; use of biomass of agricultural waste and residues for energy production; use of household waste biomass for energy production. Improvement of national legislation in the field of biomass use for energy production and the use of energy produced from biomass, which will contribute to the further development of the field of bioenergy, is impossible without the implementation of relevant European standards and the clear and consistent strategic course of development of various segments of bioenergy with a corresponding plan of measures. Keywords: energy; bioenergy; biomass; legislation; strategy; directive; legal regulation.