Center for State Ecological Expertise

In the context of today’s globalization processes, and with the aim of improving the environmental assessment system in Uzbekistan, the Law “On Environmental Expertise, Environmental Impact Assessment and Strategic Environmental Assessment” was adopted in a new edition in 2025. In furtherance of its provisions, the Cabinet of Ministers adopted Resolution No. 234 of 11 May 2026, “On Measures to Introduce New Environmental Impact Assessment Mechanisms.”

The document approved a number of regulatory procedures aimed at implementing the revised law. In particular, it defines procedures for conducting state environmental expertise and environmental impact assessment (EIA).

One of the key innovations is the reduction in the number of categories of facilities subject to environmental assessment from four to one. This will allow thousands of small businesses whose activities have minimal environmental impact to be exempted from environmental expertise procedures. In addition, the classification of facilities based on sectoral criteria will help eliminate ambiguity in the application of environmental legislation.

Establishing the procedure for conducting state environmental expertise through the Unified portal of interactive government services (EPIGU) will ensure greater transparency throughout the entire process. At the same time, legal mechanisms are being introduced to define the rights and obligations of participants in environmental assessment procedures, establish mechanisms for collegial review of disputed issues related to environmental conclusions, and ensure the application of international documents in the preparation of environmental impact assessment materials and the development of environmental standards. These include obligations arising from the Paris Agreement, the Basel Convention, and the Convention on Biological Diversity.

The development of procedures for conducting public hearings and public environmental expertise will become an important step towards strengthening democratic principles in environmentally significant decision-making processes. These documents also establish a legal framework for fulfilling Uzbekistan’s commitments under the Aarhus Convention.

In addition, the Resolution establishes procedures for organising the activities of project documentation developers, maintaining their rating, and issuing qualification certificates. It also defines requirements for organisations engaged in project development, mechanisms for assessing the effectiveness of their work and the quality of prepared documentation, as well as requirements for specialists working in these organisations and procedures for their certification.

It should be noted that Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) is one of the priority instruments in international environmental governance practices. The introduction of a new procedure for preparing environmental reports within the framework of strategic environmental assessment and evaluating their quality will help ensure the environmental sustainability of state programmes, concepts, and territorial and urban planning documents.

In 2025 alone, state environmental expertise authorities issued 49,620 environmental conclusions, while nearly 700 projects were found to be non-compliant with environmental requirements. The introduction of qualification certification for project developers and the establishment of a rating system for project organisations will improve the quality of project documentation and prevent the preparation of projects that do not meet environmental standards.

The introduction of modern international mechanisms into the environmental assessment system, as envisaged by the new Resolution, will contribute to improving the effectiveness of environmental protection measures and reducing environmental risks. This will represent an important step not only towards preserving nature but also towards creating a healthy and safe environment for future generations.