Uzbekistan Tightens Environmental Fines Under New Law

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has signed a law significantly tightening liability for violations of environmental legislation.

The document предусматривает a multiple increase in fines related to waste management and air protection. The new sanctions will come into force on June 28, 2026, three months after the official publication of the law.

One of the key provisions is the mandatory installation of automated monitoring stations at enterprises classified as category I and II in terms of environmental impact. Companies will be required to transmit collected data to the unified geoinformation database of the state environmental monitoring system.

For failure to provide, incomplete submission, or falsification of such data, the Ecology Committee will have the authority to impose fines ranging from 100 to 300 sizes of basic estimated value, equivalent to 41.2 million to 123.6 million soums. If a company disputes the violation or fails to pay the fine within a month, the case will be referred to court.

Failure to submit accurate environmental monitoring data is classified as an administrative offense. Officials may face fines of 20 to 30 sizes of basic estimated value, increasing to 30 to 50 sizes of basic estimated value for repeat violations within a year.

Penalties for emissions of pollutants and biological agents into the atmosphere will rise from the current 3–7 sizes of basic estimated value to 30–50 sizes of basic estimated value. Excessive industrial air consumption fines will increase from 2–5 sizes of basic estimated value to 50–100 sizes of basic estimated value, reaching up to 41.2 million soums. Violations related to the operation or non-use of air purification equipment will see initial fines raised from 1–3 sizes of basic estimated value to 30–50 sizes of basic estimated value, and repeat violations from 3–7 sizes of basic estimated value to 50–100 sizes of basic estimated value.

Liability for transport-related emissions has also been strengthened. The production and operation of vehicles that exceed emission and noise standards will result in fines of 10–15 sizes of basic estimated value for officials, compared to the previous 1–3 sizes of basic estimated value.

Operating vehicles exceeding emission standards will cost citizens and officials 1–3 sizes of basic estimated value, replacing the earlier penalty of 10–50% of one size of basic estimated value. Repeat violations within a year will result in fines of 15–20 sizes of basic estimated value for officials.

The law also tightens penalties for violations related to the storage of construction materials, as well as the stockpiling and burning of flammable substances. Initial fines for citizens increase from one-third to one unit up to 1–3 sizes of basic estimated value, while for officials they rise from 1–3 sizes of basic estimated value to 5–10 sizes of basic estimated value.

Fines for burning crop residues, dry leaves, and other plant waste have also been raised. For citizens, first-time violations will now incur penalties of 5–10 sizes of basic estimated value, compared to 3–5 sizes of basic estimated value previously, while officials will face fines of 20–30 units. Repeat violations may result in fines of 10–15 sizes of basic estimated value for citizens and 30–50 sizes of basic estimated value for officials.

The law further strengthens provisions related to the protection of the ozone layer. Initial fines for citizens increase from 0.5–1 sizes of basic estimated value to 3–5 sizes of basic estimated value, and for officials from 1–3 sizes of basic estimated value to 10–15 sizes of basic estimated value. In cases of repeat violations within a year, penalties will range from 7–10 sizes of basic estimated value for citizens and 15–30 sizes of basic estimated value for officials.