Legal support for an environmentally balanced system of natural resource management in terms of European integration of Ukraine
Authors: Getman Anatoliy , Bredikhina Viktoriia 
Published: October 2023

Problem setting. In terms of global overconsumption, depletion of natural resources, exhaustion of natural resources, and disturbance of the ecological and climate balance on the planet, the introduction of the concept of sustainable development introduces completely new requirements for humanity as a whole and for individual states to form political, economic and legal frameworks for natural resource management, ecosystem conservation, and environmental protection. Today, achieving sustainable development, which combines economic, environmental and social vectors, remains one of the main objectives of the European Union’s policy. The aspiration of Ukraine to become a member of the EU is recognised as an important priority in the social, economic, and political development of our country. European integration has become the main motive for democratic changes over the past decade and the driving force for a number of major reforms based on European values in various spheres of public life. Under the current circumstances, the need to solve the problems of adaptation to climate change, protection of ecological systems and organisational, legal and economic support for the balanced and rational use, and reproduction of natural resources has become especially relevant. Therefore, today, our state and the institutions continue working on the approximation of national environmental legislation to EU law even in difficult conditions of wartime. The accelerating processes of globalisation and European integration require that our country modernise and ensure the efficient mechanism of legal regulation of socio-economic and environmental, including natural resource relations. It also requires that the scientific community study the specifics of implementing the concept of sustainable development in the current, including military, realities and develop new theoretical and methodological frameworks for legal support of balanced natural resource management. Аnalysis of recent researches and publications. The issues of environmental and natural resource law development in Ukraine in terms of European integration, problems and specific features of international and European environmental law implementation into national legislation were the key research focus among such scholars as V.I. Andreitsev, A.O. Andrusevych, N.I. Andrusevych, H.V. Anisimova, O.V. Bevz, M.Ya. Vashchyshyn, A.P. Hetman, A.S. Yevstihnieiev, N.R. Kobetska, Ye.M. Kopytsia, S.M. Kravchenko, V.I. Lozo, N.R. Malysheva, D.A. Panfilova, V.D. Sydor, O.O. Surilova, O.A. Shompol, O.M. Shumilo, and others. Scientists have comprehensively studied doctrinal approaches and formed scientific concepts regarding the prospects for the development of environmental law and legislation, the formation of environmental and legal policy in our country, taking into account European integration processes and international legal obligations of Ukraine. Nevertheless, the issues of natural resource management, including the system of balanced nature resource management development in Ukraine on the basis of European values, introduction of EU environmental law, and its implementation in national natural resource legislation, have not been sufficiently discussed. Purpose of the research is to analyse Ukraine’s fulfilment of its European integration obligations regarding sustainable (balanced) use and conservation of natural resources, to study the specific features and problems of reforming national natural resource legislation in this field, and to formulate scientific, theoretical and practical conclusions and suggestions regarding possible mechanisms and instruments for ensuring an environmentally balanced system of natural resource management under the current circumstances. Аrticle’s main body. The article focuses on the scientific, theoretical and practical analysis of the problems in reforming Ukraine’s natural resource legislation in the context of Ukraine’s European integration process and improvement of legal regulation of natural resource relations under the influence of this process. The authors analyse the European integration requirements and the extent to which Ukraine fulfils its obligations regarding sustainable (balanced) use and conservation of natural resources. The article provides an analysis of the reasons for the relevance of the issues of balanced use of natural resources in the national environmental policy and ways to address them. The specific features and problems of reforming national natural resource legislation in this field are studied. The system of legal, organisational and technical instruments for ensuring the functioning of an ecologically balanced system of nature resource management in modern conditions is outlined. The authors mention that obtaining the EU candidate status by Ukraine determines the transition from approximation to a distinct transformation of European norms into national environmental legislation, which requires a deeper analysis of its compliance with European standards and principles. conclusions and prospects for the development. Ukraine’s European choice, and thus its European integration obligations, have defined a set of certain areas and crucial frameworks that should serve as the basis for legal regulation of natural resource use in order to build a balanced and transparent system of natural resource management for the sustainable development of our country and to ensure that economic, environmental, and social interests of the participants in social relations are balanced. Despite the war, Ukraine continues to fulfil its international and European integration obligations in the field of natural resources use, including gradual reforms in certain areas of natural resources use and environmental protection (forest and water management, subsoil use, biodiversity conservation, alternative energy sources, climate change adaptation, etc.), and the introduction of legal, organisational, and technical instruments to implement the requirements of European legislation (digitalisation of environmental management, deregulation and transparency of economic activity, decentralisation of power, economic incentives, and “green” economy modernisation). It is considered that the fastest possible adaptation of national environmental, including natural resource, legislation to European standards will not only contribute to the implementation of the set goals of sustainable development, but will also allow to promptly address many issues related to the post-war recovery and development of the country on the basis of rational use and conservation of natural resources, transition to the principles of a “green economy”, implementation of alternative energy and, therefore, balancing the multi-vector interests of the society.