Response from the Ecoinspection on illegal trenching
In June 2026 we sent an investigation request about 4 cases of illegal (as we think) trenching to the Ecoinspection. Their response was:
In response to your application № 2044733, addressed to the Environmental and Mining Inspection Body (hereinafter: Inspection Body) via the unified platform for electronic inquiries on June 9, 2026, regarding gross violations of environmental norms by construction companies in Yerevan, I inform you that within the framework of the administrative proceedings initiated in the Yerevan regional department of the Inspection Body, in order to clarify the circumstances mentioned in the application, specialist G. Avanesyan, a dendrologist of the Arabkir subdivision of the "Greening and Environmental Protection" CNCO, was invited. Together with him, a visit was carried out in the territory of the Arabkir administrative district, specifically at the addresses: Azatutyan Avenue 1, Azatutyan Avenue 9, Azatutyan Avenue 13/2 and Gyulbenkyan Street 34. There, G. Avanesyan, after examining the trees in the mentioned areas, expressed a professional opinion that as a result of the trenching works, the trees were not damaged to the point of growth cessation.
At the same time, I inform you that according to Article 219¹ of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Republic of Armenia, the offenses provided for in Article 157 of the Code are examined by local self-government bodies.
Our opinion
This response highlights a critical gap in our environmental protection system. Under current legal interpretations, the Ecoinspection can effectively do nothing unless a tree is immediately killed or damaged so severely that it stops growing. They do not intervene in cases of obvious damage that does not cause immediate death, as there is no specific law they feel empowered to enforce for such intermediate damage.
Going forward, all requests regarding construction-related tree damage that does not involve immediate destruction should be directed to the Yerevan Municipality (or the relevant administrative district) rather than the Ecoinspection.