Evolution of SER and OVOS in the Soviet Union and Russia (1985-1996)

Summary, in English

The environmental impact assessment (EIA) process has been used in a number of countries since the early 1970s as an instrument of environmental regulation at the planning stage of economic activity. Since the mid-1980s, some of the principle of EIA have been introduced in the USSR's environmental legislation and regulations which has resulted in the development of two distinctive regulatory concepts. The concepts are: State Environmental Review (SER) which indicates that the review is conducted through an expert system; and the Assessment of Environmental Impacts. The roots and subsequent evolution of these two concepts, their distinctive characteristics and recommendations for the future improvement of the Russian EIA system is also presented.