Armenian Law on Tariffs and Fines

Adopted in 2005, the "Law on Tariffs for Compensation of Damages Caused to Fauna and Flora" establishes the legal framework and specific monetary values for calculating fines related to environmental violations in Armenia. The legislation categorizes offenses ranging from illegal hunting and fishing to the destruction of plant life, setting distinct base tariffs for specific species—such as Red Book animals and trees based on trunk diameter—while applying severe multipliers (up to ten times the base rate) for violations occurring in protected zones or within Yerevan. Furthermore, the law mandates that compensation is calculated based on the quantity or volume of the damaged resources and dictates that these funds are collected for the state budget, with legal provisions for court enforcement if payments are not made voluntarily within a set timeframe.

For urban forestry in Yerevan, this document is a powerful but often unused tool. Article 4 specifically addresses the "illegal felling or partial damage of trees and shrubs," explicitly including those located in "common use areas of settlements." This definition is critical for combating "sanitary pruning" malpractice; by classifying severe topping as "partial damage" or "growth cessation," activists can use this law to demand compensation amounts that often far exceed standard administrative penalties, making tree destruction financially unviable for developers.

Key takeaways related to trees

[1] Base compensation calculated by diameter and species. The fundamental financial penalty for damaging trees is calculated based on the stump diameter, with higher rates applied to species designated as "valuable" or "rare." For valuable species like Oak, Plane, and Walnut, the base tariff starts at 4,500 AMD for saplings and rises to 22,500 AMD for trees with a 30 cm diameter, with an additional 1,500 AMD charged for every centimeter beyond that size; "other" species have lower base rates ranging from 1,000 to 10,000 AMD. (5.1)

[2] Severe multipliers for Yerevan and urban settlements. The law mandates significantly higher penalties for violations occurring within urban environments to protect public green spaces. Specifically, for the illegal cutting or destruction of trees in the common use areas of settlements (artificial forests and public spaces), the damage is calculated at three times the base tariff, whereas violations within the city of Yerevan attract a much stricter penalty of ten times the standard rate. (5.1)

[3] Penalties for waste dumping in green zones. Urban green spaces are legally protected against pollution, with specific fines levied per square meter of contaminated land. The law imposes a fine of 2,000 AMD per square meter for littering green areas in settlements with household or food waste, and a significantly higher fine of 10,000 AMD per square meter for the unauthorized dumping of construction or industrial waste. (5.8)

[4] Fines for illegal construction and soil removal. The unauthorized use of public green space for construction or resource extraction incurs hefty financial liabilities calculated by area or volume. Illegal occupation of green areas by structures is fined at 5,000 AMD per square meter, while the illegal removal of soil from these zones is penalized at a rate of 10,000 AMD per cubic meter. (5.9)

[5] Calculation based on remaining stumps. To ensure accountability even after a tree has been removed, the law allows authorities to calculate damages based on the evidence left behind. If the illegal logging is discovered via the presence of stumps, the damage compensation is assessed at three times the standard tariff applicable to that specific tree species and diameter. (6.10)