Environmental impact analysis as a tool for state regulation of economic activity

Relevance. The transition to a model of sustainable development requires an increase in the effectiveness of state regulation of environmental management, which in turn implies the use of effective regulatory tools, including a set of administrative and economic tools. Under the conditions of an oncoming environmental crisis and degradation, environmental impact analysis (EIA) becomes increasingly important, the purpose of which is to make environmentally sound decisions by evaluating the forecasted impacts and justifying measures to reduce or prevent them. Purpose of the study. Analysis and systematization of institutional support for EIA, identification of evolutionary changes in relation to environmental assessment, its importance, the order of implementation, the existing shortcomings. Results. While the study, the stages of institutional support for EIA in Russia were identified and the expediency of distinguishing four stages was justified. At the first stage, it is, actually, not about the assessment, but about the intentions of its setting. At the second stage, separate principles of environmental regulation are implemented when planning business activities. Ecological appraisal (EA) becomes compulsory. The second stage is considered as preparatory one for development and approval of laws regarding EIA. At the third stage, the legislative recognition of EIA is carried out (1994, 2000); the Federal Law “On Ecological appraisal” is adopted. A new edition of the Federal Law “On Environmental Protection” now has the Article 32 called “Conducting the environmental impact analysis”. The fourth stage (now in force) is a change in attitude towards the objects of ecological appraisal which takes place due to amendments in the Urban Planning Code of the Russian Federation. The implementation of provisions is differentiated with the project. At the same time, the list of facilities requiring EA is significantly reduced, which is absolutely illogical in the current situation of an impending ecological crisis. Conclusions. The staging of evolutionary changes in the institutional support for EIA makes it possible to solve the problem of its improvement most reasonably in the presence of “bottlenecks” identified in the research process