Abstract: The article is devoted to a new tool of Russian legislation and law enforcement practice – the taxonomy of "sustainable development" and "green" projects. The subject of the study is the understanding of the prerequisites for the adoption and regulatory content of the taxonomy, determining its significance for the development of legal regulation in the light of the concept of sustainable development, as well as its practical value for increasing investments in "green" and "sustainable" infrastructure, improving social and environmental indicators of the population. The relevance of the study is related to the lack of precisely the normative tools for the qualification of "sustainable development" projects, "green" and "climate" projects has long been considered one of the main barriers hindering the development of the Russian market of "sustainable" and "green" financing, as well as increasing demands for streamlining approaches to such projects. The main research methods were general scientific methods - formal-logical, systemic and functional. Special attention is paid to the comparative legal analysis of the taxonomies of Russia, Kazakhstan and China. The Russian taxonomy has laid the regulatory foundation for the market of sustainable, including green financing in the Russian Federation, and has the potential to contribute to the expansion of its scale. And although through its adoption, the fundamental problem of ensuring sustainable development has not been solved in the legal field. Nevertheless, it introduced terminological (conceptual) certainty, reduced the asymmetry of the goals and objectives of legal regulation of investment and environmental relations, which is also an extremely important task of legal regulation. In the absence of clear goal-setting and normative definitions, new legal and economic categories are given different meanings, which negatively affects the emerging regulation of this sphere of relations. Future tasks related to the development of optimal legal structures for regulating relations arising from the preparation and implementation of projects of "sustainable" development and "green" projects will be solved more effectively, largely due to the foundations laid by the Russian taxonomy.

Keywords: sustainable investments, green investments, regions of Russia, national development goals, greening of legislation, infrastructure projects, green projects, sustainable development projects, taxonomy of projects, sustainable development

Abstract: The article deals with social relations arising in the process of preventing and eliminating emergency oil and petroleum product spills in the marine environment. The danger of pollution of the marine environment by oil and petroleum products is reviewed, two major accidents related to the spill of oil and petroleum products are mentioned: the release of oil from the Exxon Valdez tanker and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The methods used to eliminate accidents in the Baltic Sea, as well as some features of this region, are considered. The special role of the Polar Code in the prevention of pollution of polar waters by oil and petroleum products is considered. The article also discusses the requirements for the prevention of accidental spills contained in international acts. The article notes that most of the existing international legal norms, as well as legal acts of national legislation, are aimed at ensuring compliance with the established rules for the transportation of oil and petroleum products, requirements for the operation of ships, their design features, as well as for the proper operation of equipment. It is necessary to eliminate gaps in legislation regarding the regulation of oil collection under ice in the polar region. It seems necessary to legislatively regulate the use of special means for monitoring oil spills. Legislation in the field of forecasting, accident prevention, as well as taking into account the natural features of the region of production and transportation of petroleum products needs further improvement

Keywords: accident, oil and oil products, legal regulation, polar waters, Baltic Sea, marine environment, environment, oil spills, MARPOL, oil spill response

Abstract: Today, the Russian Federation has a number of strategic planning documents, federal laws, by-laws, SanPiNs and GOSTs in place to ensure the medical and biological safety of the population. The system of environmental protection legislation and legislation in the field of health care and sanitary and epidemiological support, the norms of which regulate, to some extent, the issues of ensuring medical and biological safety, has developed to a great extent. It should be noted a number of problems inherent in the whole body of legislation regulating various aspects of medical and biological safety, which require a priority solution through the consolidation of efforts of the state and representatives of legal and sectoral sciences, as well as civil society. A characteristic feature of legislation in the field of biomedical safety is that in most cases it develops in response to past or existing threats, although in today's world it is more necessary than ever to develop it in advance, taking into account the foreseeable risks. The large number of rules governing relations in the field of biomedical security, which are often in conflict with each other, greatly complicates their enforcement. Legal science faces an urgent need to develop a strategy (content) and tactics (implementation mechanism) of state-legal policy in the field of ensuring both medical and biological, and inextricably linked to it, environmental security of the state, adequate to the realities of the current stage of social development.

Keywords: public health, sanitary and epidemiological support, security measures, environmental legislation, threat, environmental security, biological security, national security, weapons of mass destruction, biological weapons

Abstract: The author considers problematic issues of land use, including agricultural land. The methodological aspects of the definition of land relations are investigated. Both theoretical studies and actual judicial practice are analyzed. Carrying out the selection of arbitration practice on the problem raised in the article, the author tried to pick up cases that are problematic from the point of view of the qualification of land legal relations. The author is convinced that the theoretical understanding of the most typical court cases should have a practical effect not only for the subjects of law enforcement activity, but also for the legislator, since it is from the solution of specific incidents that it is often possible to draw a conclusion about (not) satisfactory legal regulation of the relevant sphere of public relations. The scientific novelty of the undertaken research is the analysis of current judicial practice on disputes in the field of land use, as well as proposals for point-by-point improvement of land legislation. The object of this study is legal relations related to the emergence, modification and termination of land rights in the Russian Federation. The subject of the study is regulatory and administrative legal acts defining the procedure for the acquisition, use and termination of land rights and relevant judicial practice. The author used the formal legal method as the main method of scientific cognition in the preparation of the article. In addition, the following methods were used: hypothesis, deduction, induction, typology, classification, structural method of legal modeling.

Keywords: land reclamation, land legal relations, territorial zone, rational land use, land use entities, land use, land legislation, agricultural land, land resources, legal technique

Abstract: The subject of the work is the legal norms regulating social relations that arise in the process of environmental protection and the implementation of various activities in the Arctic, as well as data on the features and state of nature of the Arctic region. The aim of the work is to formulate a special concept aimed at protecting the environment and ensuring rational use of natural resources, which can be used to improve legal regulation in these areas. The methodological basis of the study was a system of various methods, logical techniques and means of cognition; general scientific, private and special methods were used in the process of work. Such as analysis, synthesis, analogy, deduction, induction, formal legal and others. The relevance of the research topic is indicated by the fact that the Arctic is a unique region of great importance both for the environment of the planet and for various aspects of human life. At the same time, the Arctic nature is characterized by increased sensitivity to various impacts, such as economic activity and climate change. Accordingly, the Arctic region needs special legal regulation of environmental protection and nature management. The paper gives a general description of the Arctic region. The main threats to the Arctic environment are considered on the example of the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation. The main result of the work is the special concept proposed in it, aimed at protecting the environment and ensuring rational use of natural resources in the Arctic. At the same time, the main idea of the concept is to create a single natural and ecological framework of the Arctic. The paper emphasizes that the application of this concept for the improvement and development of domestic legislation should not only increase the level of nature protection in the Arctic, but also contribute to ensuring the interests of the country for the sustainable development of the region.

Keywords: negative impact, environmental pollution, indigenous peoples, principles of law, rational use of natural resources, natural-ecological framework, environmental protection, Arctic, Arctic region, biodiversity

Abstract: The subject of the work is the legal norms regulating relations arising in the process of protecting the marine environment from plastic pollution, as well as the provisions of strategic planning documents related to this issue. The main purpose of the work is to develop, based on the analysis of the current legal regulation and data on the state of marine pollution by plastic, recommendations of a theoretical and practical nature aimed at improving domestic environmental legislation. The methodological basis of the research is a system of various methods, logical techniques and means of cognition. In particular, such methods as analysis, synthesis, deduction, induction, formal legal, etc. were used. The relevance of the chosen research topic is indicated by the fact that plastic is one of the most common pollutants and makes up the majority of marine debris.   At the same time, studies have confirmed the presence of such pollution in 10 of the 12 seas of the Russian Federation. The study made it possible to formulate a number of conclusions with relevance and scientific novelty, including the expediency of tightening administrative responsibility in this area, the need to establish a number of restrictions on the use of disposable plastic products, the development of requirements for antifouling coatings on ships following the Northern Sea Route in order to protect the Arctic marine environment from microplastic pollution. Among other things, it was concluded that one of the main roles in protecting the marine environment from plastic pollution should be performed by environmental education and enlightenment, which should contribute to the formation of a proper ecological culture of citizens, including in the field of handling products (products) consisting of plastic or containing it in its composition. The results of the study can be used to improve legal regulation in the field of protection of the marine environment from plastic pollution, as well as in teaching.

Keywords: rationing, biological diversity, World Ocean, environmental protection, microplastics, plastic, pollution, marine environment, legal liability, protection of the marine environment

Abstract: In the current context, the goals of Russia and China in achieving "carbon neutrality" by 2060 and strengthening their own energy resource and environmental security, the comparative study of the laws on transition towards low-carbon energy sources and new environmental standards declared by both countries is relevant and urgent. The subject of this research is measures to reform legislation in the sphere of exploration and extraction of natural gas in Russia and China, which can be divided into the following aspects: reform of the legislative system on the mineral resources and competitive transfer of the right to use the subsoil plots, reform of the law "On Foreign Investment" and definition of state strategic mineral resources, legal system of environmental protection, and reform regarding the protection of environmental resources in the mining districts. Based on comparative research in various legal disciplines, the author generalizes and analyzes the similarities and differences in ensuring resource and environmental security in Russia and China. This article summarizes the experience and shortcomings of Russia and China in maintaining balance between the national resource security and environmental security aimed at the achievement of "carbon neutrality". Stemming from the fact that both countries manage the appropriate resource and environmental security, China should adopt the Russian experience and transform the administrative provisions of the lower level associated with the protection of resources and environmental security into legislative acts, in order to enhance their law enforcement, compulsory and deterrent authority. Russia, in turn, should also resort to the experience of China in implementation of the factors of market competition in the sphere of exploration of oil and gas, as well as encourage and motivate foreign or domestic private capital to contribute to oil and gas exploration and help Russia to upgrade its equipment and boost production.

Keywords: foreign investment, subsoil, environmental safety, resource security, national security, use of subsoil plots, сhinese legal reform, environmental protection, subsoil of federal significance, carbon neutrality

Abstract: The subject of this research is the legal norms that regulate social relations arising in the context of implementation of measures aimed at global warming prevention and adaption to climate change. The goal of this work lies in formulization of theoretical and practical conclusions and recommendations for the improvement of legal regulation in this sphere based on the analysis of legislation, policy documents of different countries, as well as information and data pertinent to climate change. Methodological framework is comprised of the logical techniques, means of cognition, general scientific and special methods, such as analysis, synthesis, analogy, deduction, induction, comparative-legal, formal-legal,  etc. The relevance of this topic is substantiated by the continuous global warming worldwide, particularly the temperatures in the northern polar region. At the same time, the experts note that the efforts made by the international community to reduce greenhouse gas emissions neither decelerate the global warming, nor reduce the concentration of such gases. This means that that the efforts should be aimed at adaptation to the new climatic realities. The article examines the questions related to climate protection, as well as adaptation to climate change applicable to the Arctic. A number of theoretical and practical conclusions and recommendations are made. For protection of the Arctic environment in the conditions of changing climate, it is necessary to stipulate in the Russian legislation such legal instrument as the strategic environmental assessment, at least for projects implemented in the Arctic Zone of the Russian Federation.

Keywords: biological diversity, indigenous peoples, environmental protection, Arctic, adaptation, climate change, global warming, arctic policy, permafrost, marine environment

Abstract: The circumpolar location of the Arctic region and the unity of its natural environment substantiates the need for the formation of unified approaches towards its protection, which is complicated by the differences in the legal systems of the Arctic Council member-states. Moreover, a growing number of non-Arctic countries claim to implement their scientific, economic or other activities in the region, which necessitates the creation of a single legal regime aimed at environmental protection in the region. Despite the negative changes in environmental situation of the Artic that took place in recent decades, the region still has the unique potential of flora and fauna resources, the conservation of which is one of the priority tasks. With regard to the living resources of the Arctic, the formation of unified approaches in the legislation of the Arctic states towards their conservation and use should be carried out in several directions, among which is the legal protection of ecosystems and individual species, rational use of natural resources and traditional natural resource management of the indigenous population, development of the comprehensive system of environmental monitoring, and control over the advancement of Arctic tourism. Despite certain difficulties that currently exist on the intergovernmental level, the problems of environmental protection of the Arctic zone, the solution of which due to its circumpolar location and single natural space determines the sustainable development of the Arctic Council member-states, would contribute to strengthening of cooperation and adoption of concerted decisions, including on the legislative level and formation of a single legal space in the region in the indicated sphere.

Keywords: arctic tourism, international agreements, legal regime, ecosystem, biodiversity, environment protection, environment, Arctic, ecological tourism, legal protection

Abstract: The subject of this research is the set legal norms that regulate public relations arising in the process of compensation for damage inflicted to the environment as a result of oil spills. The goal of this work consists in formulating the theoretical and practical conclusions and proposals on the improvement of the institution of compensation for environmental damage as a whole, and the legal aspects of compensation for damage inflicted to the environment due to oil spills in particular. The relevance of this topic is substantiated by the statistical data; for example, in the Arctic Zone of the Russian Federation, the total area of disturbed land as of 2019 was 218,641 hectares, and most of them (according to the data for the entire observation period) were formed due to the extraction of mineral resources, as well as a result of oil and spills during their transportation. In 2019, 17, 000 accidents related to oil spills took place in the Russian Federation, among which 10, 500 were the accidents on oil pipelines. The article explores the questions associated with compensation for environmental damage. The analysis of the effective legislation in this sphere and its practical implementation allowed making a range of conclusions It is noted that the mechanism of compensation for environmental damage in the Russian Federation has significant flaws, namely with regards to compensation for damage in kind, offsetting the costs incurred by the infliction of environmental damage to repair such damage. The issues related to the procedure of disbursement of compensation for environmental damage to restore the state of the environment remain open and virtually unresolved. Recommendations are made on solution of the indicated problems.

Keywords: oil spills, environmental human rights, environmental protection, legal responsibility, environmental restoration, compensation for environmental harm, environmental harm, environmental disaster, environmental pollution, environmental degradation

Abstract: This article explores the problem of regulation of the turnover of shares in the right of common ownership of land plots of agricultural designation. The author substantiates the relevance of improving the current legislation, first and foremost due to annual increase in the number of unclaimed shares of agricultural lands and the impossibility of their use in civil circulation. Analysis is conducted on the existing procedure of recognizing the land shares unclaimed and their transfer to municipal ownership, indicating its inefficiency. The article considers a proposal on the amendment of civil and land legislation with regards to simplification of the grounds for transferring such objects to municipal ownership via their possible recognition as unowned property, changing the procedure for transferring such shares to municipal ownership, as well as specifying the grounds for terminating the ownership right of the subjects to unclaimed land shares in the right of common ownership of land plots of agricultural designation. The article analyzes criticism of the experts towards such initiative, objections against possible application of the Article 225 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation to subjective rights, since it contradicts the existing concept that allows usage of rules on acquisition of the unowned property only to physical objects, as well as potential extension of the rules on terminating the property ownership. which cannot belong to an individual, in cases when the share holder in the right of common ownership on the unleased land plot of agricultural designation, would not allocate a plot assigned to him within a certain period of time.

Keywords: right, law, land, common shared ownership, land share, land plots, agricultural land, legal regulation, owner, legislation

Abstract: The subject of this research is a set of legal norms that regulate social relations in the area of prevention and response to accidental spills of petroleum products. The goal of this work consists in formulation of theoretical and practical conclusions and recommendations aimed at the improvement of legal regulation in this sphere. The relevance of the selected topic is defined by the fact that accidental spills of hydrocarbons is an urgent concern for the Russian Federation. The official data indicates over 17,000 accidents occurred at enterprises of the fuel and energy complex in 2019. The due regulation of prevention and response to spills of petroleum products is definitely one crucial elements in ensuring environmental security of the Russian Federation. The article examines the legal support issues with regards to prevention and response to accidental spills of petroleum products. Based on the analysis of the effective legislation, the author makes a number of conclusions and recommendation. It is noted that the norms regulating the relations in this sphere are for the most part dedicated to the issues of localization and elimination of the spills of petroleum products, i.e. measures taken after the spill. Such crucial problem as the prevention of spills of petroleum products and environmental damage is not given due attention in the legislation. The author also formulates the principle of advanced development of environmental legislation, according to which the legislative and technical regulation of the activity posing heightened risk to the environment and (or) associated with the use of natural resources should be proactive.

Keywords: Arctic Ocean, environmental duties, biological diversity, marine environment, environmental protection, prevention of environmental harm, oil spill, Northern Sea Route, marine accident, Arctic

Abstract: The subject of this research is the provisions of current environmental and civil legislation that establish the grounds, procedure and forms of compensation for damage caused to the environment. The article examines, generalizes and critically analyzes the practice of the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation, Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, and arbitration courts on consideration of disputes related to the compensation for damage caused to the environment. Special attention is given to the decision of the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation No.12-P of 06.02.2015 and the decree of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation No.49 of 11.30.2017. The article employs the results of environmental legal and cognate scientific research. The conclusion is substantiated on the priority of the natural forms of compensation for damage caused to the environment; in the instance of full or maximum possible compensation, it requires taking prompt measures for the effective restoration of the damaged environment. The author it is substantiated that the questions of possibility for conducting recovery works, their volume and terms can be submitted to legal examination directly in the context of resolving a dispute on the compensation for damage caused to the environment (regardless of the development of recovery project at the pretrial stage). It is noted that such mechanism of proof gains special relevance in case if the time interval between the date of detection of pollution and prior to submission of a claim is insufficient for the development of recovery project through extrajudicial procedure.

Keywords: water pollution, soil contamination, compensation for damage, reclamation, environmental damage, environmental protection, in-kind compensation, judicial expertise, damage calculation methodology, natural objects

Abstract: The protection of paleontological material occupies one of the central places in the field of preservation of objects of historical and cultural heritage. Each country has its own legal traditions and system for the protection of fossil sites on its territory. In this article, attention is paid to the legislative regulation of the search, collection and collecting of paleontological objects in Canada. The experience of this country is of particular interest for Russian practice. Unlike other countries, Russia and Canada are united by the similarity of climate, geography and natural conditions, the presence of permafrost and deposits with fossils. Therefore, the Canadian experience in the protection of paleontological objects deserves separate consideration. В  Based on the analysis of the legislative acts of the provinces and territories of Canada, the article examines the features of legal regulation in this area and the organization of the state system for the protection of fossil remains. The novelty of the work lies in the fact that the focus of the study is on the formation and distribution of ownership rights to fossil objects and fossils. This allowed us to come to the following conclusions: all fossil objects, as a cultural and historical value, are owned by provinces and territories, which prevents their transformation into a commodity unit; the organization of the protection of paleontological objects has a horizontal structure, where the priority is not federal authorities, but provincial and territorial.

Keywords: legal regulation, ownership, protection of paleontological objects, cultural and historical heritage, fossils, paleontological material, paleontological objects, Canada, collecting fossils, land law

Abstract: Environmental crimes statistically comprise an insignificant portion in overall crime structure, based on the number of reported cases and settled cases; the level of their latency remains high. The traditional types of offences, such as unlawful logging, hunting, extraction of water bio resources, prevail within the Russian registered cases of environmental crime, although their latency is undoubted. The vast majority of instances of criminal environmental pollution (water, atmosphere, marine environment, soil), violations of rules in handling environmentally hazardous substances and waste are not recorded, and thus do not receive due legal assessment. Currently, there is a wide variety of threats to the environment, environmental rights and interests, life and health, public and territorial security, which are complex in their structure, causes, consequences, and dynamics, and often interrelated with other social and economic factors. Among most urgent and large-scale threats, the author determines climate change, world ocean waters pollution, decline in biodiversity, wildfires, and in the long view – pollution of near-earth space environment. Environmental experts actively discuss the means for preventing such threats, including legal ones. Criminal law should also contribute to this activity.

Keywords: environmental protection, legislation, legal protection, biodivercsty, climate, criminal law, environmental law, environment, crime, criminal liability

Abstract: Severe measures of fighting against illegal sale of mammoth fossils undertaken by the global community have caused the boom on the mammoth fossils market. Considering that the greatest part of the mammoth fossils remains has been discovered in the territory of the Russian Arctic, the legal regulation of mammoth fossils in Russia is of pure research interest. In her article Belolyubskaya analyzes peculiarities of the legal regulation of this sphere at the federal and regional levels in the Russian Federation. Until present, the federation constituents have been playing the main role in collection and extraction of mammoth fossils. However, the boom on the mammoth fossils market have resulted in the need to adopt a federal law that would declare mammoth fauna remains as the natural resource of the country. The researcher has analyzed legal documents of both federal and regional levels that regulate the processes of collection and extraction of mammoth fossils. As an example, the researcher analyzes the legislative experience of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) where regulation of the turnover of mammoth fossils has been under close attention since the 1990s. The researcher focuses on whether mammoth fossils should be declared as natural resource and possible consequences of such decision for native communities of the Russian Arctic. 

Keywords: natural resource, mining economy, Republic of Sakha, Russian Arctic, paleontological material, mammoth tusks, mammoth fossils, legal regulation, mammoth fauna, property right

Abstract: The object of the research is civil relations arising in the process of environmental harm prevention. The subject of the research is the standards of civil law and regional trials as well as researches. The author of the article pays special attention to answering the question whether Article 1065 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation establishes environmental protection means as fully as possible, what means of civil protection can be used by complainants and whether the structure of Article 1065 of the Civil Code is efficient enough. Based on the research objectives, the author of the article has used such research methods as systems analysis allowing to cover a wide range of materials and to discover gaps and inconsistencies of references rules in The Law On Environmental Protectino and Civil Code as well as analysis and generalisation to work with trial materials and to make conclusions. The main conclusinos of the research are the following provisions. There is no direct mechanism for the implementation of provisions of The Law on Environmental Protection through Civil Code rules. Thus, the author offers better ways of implying civil means including protection of estates and property rights. Letuta offers her own variant of civil protection means that can be used to prevent environmental harm in certain cases. The author also gives her own variants of amendments and changes in the civil law that would ensure better implementation of the provisions of Articles 34, 56 and 80 of The Law on Environmental Protection. 

Keywords: responsibility, compensation for harm, Environment, threat of new harm, risk of harm, tort, preventing of harm, source of increased danger, protection of civil rights, civil law

Abstract: The article is devoted to the issues that may arise in the process of legal regulation of environmental protection in industrial parks of a number of Asian states. The researcher analyzes the experience of particular countries in developing their legal policy of environmental protection in industrial parks. Based on the analysis of legal acts that regulate environmental protection in industrial countries of some Asian countries, the author of the article proves that the legal base of the aforesaid problem is better regulated in other Asian countries compared to Vietnam. The author has applied the following research methods: comparative law analysis (to compared Vietnam and other Asian states' laws on environmental protection) and statistical analysis (to analyze particular aspects of law-enforcement practice). The author emphasizes the importance of a developed system of legal acts that regulate activity of industrial parks and environmental protection in such parks. The law-making experience of the states analyzed in this research may be useful for successful implementation of similar laws in Vietnam. 

Keywords: air, water, protection, waste, environment, industrial park, Vietnam, noise, pollution, emission certificate

Abstract: The research offers a brief description of the main provisions of the Mining Code of Argentina of 1886. They specify the influence of the Spanish mining law on the mining law of Argentina. The law divides all mining companies into three classes and regulates the extraction of mineral resources (mining), permissible areas and registration of lands with mineral resources, issuance of temporary permits and mining licenses, transfer of promising areas to concession or property, payment of mining taxes and levies to the public treasury, etc. depending on which class a company is referred to. In their research the authors have applied the general dialectical research method as well as special research methods such as comparative law, historical and formal logical analysis. In conclusion, the authors state that the mining law of Argentina has been developoing on the basis of Spanish mining law in particular and European mining law in general. For example, the mining law of Argentina adopted the principle of mining freedom that means that everyone may seek for and extract mineral resources in state or private territories. The law also defines the actors of the mining law and rules for issuance of temporary permits and mining licenses for the search and developmkent of mineral resources, permissible sizes of mining leases, the procedure of transferring mining leases to concession or property, the procedure of the seizure of the mining lease, and payment of mining taxes and levies. The mining code of Argentina of 1886 is the legal basis for the creation and development of civilized mining industry of Argentina. Over century and a half the law has been regulating the processes of the search for and extraction of mineral resources. The republic has a lot of places where various kinds of ore and minerals are extracted, thus the mining law contributes to the success of mining in the region.   

Keywords: mining law, land plot, mining taxes, license for mining, mining, minerals, land on which the mining area of the mining lease, mines, landfills, mining code of Argentina

Abstract: In this article the authors present statistical data about the number of registered environmental crimes in the Russian Federation including in the Siberian Federal Okrug and Krasnoyarsky Krai and prove that environmental crime is quite a common phenomenon. The authors reveal issues of the harmful influence of this type of crime on the integrity of the ecosystem as well as other spheres of human activity. The authors carry out a detailed analysis of the nature and degree of the social danger that may be caused by this type of crime, for example, illegal logging. They analyze a set of planned legislative measures aimed at enforcing the criminal liability for envirommental crime. In the course of their research the authors have used such methods as the dialectical materialistic research method, and special research methods such as formal law, comparative law, structured system, criminological and linguistic analysis. They offer their own legislative measures that would raise criminal liablity for environmental crime. The authors underline that their measures will raise efficiency of the counteraction of enviromental crime and conclude that criminal sanctions for environmental crimes should be efficient, coherent and play a deterrent role. They should also correspond to the nature and degree of the social danger that may be caused by environmental crimes. 

Keywords: fighting, sanction norms, punitive policy, material damage, social danger, criminal liability, illegal logging, environmental crime, crime, ecological safety

Abstract: The research subject is the definition and the essence of environmental damage. The authors note significant contradictions of judicial law enforcement practice in interpreting the essence of this type of damage and the methods of proving it. The analysis of court decisions on this category of cases shows that courts give ambiguous estimation of facts of environmental standards exceedance, and by no means always accept them as evidences of environmental damage. In the authors’ opinion, the reason of such state of things roots in the contradictions of the fundamental Federal Law “On environmental protection”. The authors use both general scientific and specific research methods: dialectical, formal-logical, formal-legal. The authors conclude that to eliminate such two-fold interpretation of this problem, it is necessary to specify the legal definition of “environmental damage”, by linking it to environmental standards. Such consequences as degradation of eco-systems and natural resources depletion should be, on the contrary, excluded from the definition, since they don’t meet the requirements of legal certainty of the norm and can’t be verified. Based on this fact, the authors propose their own formulation of the definition of environmental damage. 

Keywords: losses, environmental standards, indemnification, environment, environmental damage, civil responsibility, court practice, evidence, claim, environmental protection

Abstract: The article concerns the issues of legal regulation in the sphere of renewable sources of energy and environmental protection in Mexico.  This is a topical issue for Mexico as well as for the other states, as are currently the issues of the subsoil mineral resources and, more specifically, energy carriers, as well as the issues of environmental protection. The analysis of Mexican legislation in this sphere allows one to say that the energy policy of Mexico is aimed at improvement of the energy efficiency and energy saving, development of the renewable sources of energy. However, the measures aimed at achieving compliance with the environmental legislation were taken only in the middle of 1990s, which was due to Mexico joining the NAFTA.  A number of measures in the sphere of regulating water, soil and air pollution was taken by the Mexican legislator after the Kyoto Protocol was signed. Starting from the second half of the 1990s the measures were taken in order to form the special legal basis in the sphere of environmental protection, and special institutional bodies were established.  The further improvement of the Mexican environmental legislation in this sphere depends upon the tempo and level of the integration processes between Mexico and the North American states.

Keywords: energy law, environmental law, renewable sources of energy, Mexico, NAFTA, Kyoto Protoool, energy efficiency, energy saving, energy policy, investments