Dubovik, O.L. Role of Directives in the legal regulation of the environmental protection in the European Union

Abstract: The goal of this article is to define the role of Directives in the legal guarantees of environmental protection in the European Union. It is noted in the article that in the latest decades the law of the European Union in general and environmental law as its constituent element have been developing very intensively. The general number of sources of law became larger, so did the quantity of legal norms, establishing permissions, limitations, standards, requirements and prohibitions. The scope of objects (immediate objects) of legal regulation was also widened. These tendencies attract attention of the Russian environmental law scholars, since many decisions of the European Union influence the interests of the Russian Federation, and they contain successful formulae, which may be efficiently used in the process of improvement of the Russian legislation. In general, the sources of law of the European Union include such acts, principles, judicial decisions, and customs, which reflect the qualities and sources of both international environmental law and national environmental law. It is pointed out by the author, that the contents of the Directives of the European Parliament and Council on the issues of environmental interests, as well as the international treaties to which the EU or its Member States are parties are of primary importance, even when the Russian Federation is not a party to such treaties. In the article in addition to the general overview of the environmental law of the EU and its sources, the author analyzes the role of the Directive as a source of European environmental law.

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