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Asian Journal of Water, Environment and Pollution. Vol. 22, No. 3 (2025), pp. 153-163.
doi: 10.36922/AJWEP025160118

ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE

Sources of environmental law: National legislation of
Ukraine and international legal documents

Yuliia Leheza , Anatolii Kuzmenko , Oleksandr Pashchenko ,
1
3
2
Valeriya Tulyantseva , and Yevhen Leheza *
1
4
1 Department of Civil, Commercial, and Environmental Law, Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences,
Dnipro University of Technology, Dnipro, Ukraine
2 Pavlograd District Prosecutor’s Office of the Dnipropetrovsk Region, Pavlograd, Ukraine
3 Department of Civil Law Disciplines, Institute of Law and Security, Odesa State University of
Internal Affairs, Odesa, Ukraine
4 Department of Public and Private Law, Educational and Scientific Institute of Law and International Legal Relations,
University of Customs and Finance, Dnipro, Ukraine
*Corresponding author: Yevhen Leheza (legeza@umsf.dp.ua)

Received: April 15, 2025; Revised: May 15, 2025; Accepted: May 23, 2025; Published online: June 10, 2025

Abstract: In this article, we consider the Constitution of Ukraine, international agreements, and norms of international
law as the foundations of environmental legislation. This study provides a detailed analysis of the provisions and
principles enshrined in international legal acts and Ukrainian legislation related to the protection and conservation
of nature. The Constitution of Ukraine establishes the state’s environmental strategy, guarantees citizens the right
to a safe environment, and mandates state actions to ensure environmental protection. International agreements,
which Ukraine has signed and ratified, are equally significant, holding priority over national laws and forming a part
of the domestic law. The international legal acts include declarations, principles, and other documents that do not
have binding legal force but have significant impacts on the state’s formation and development of environmental
law. These acts serve as typical frameworks in environmental protection, granting flexibility in implementation.
Therefore, the most effective way to implement such acts into the national legislation of Ukraine is through state
adoption based on the text of international legal acts or their individual articles on domestic law. The main ways to
solve the problems of implementing international legal acts in environmental protection in Ukraine are as follows: (i)
operational addition or amendment of national environmental legislation, (ii) determination of specific mechanisms
and ways of implementing international obligations undertaken by Ukraine in environmental protection, and (iii)
creation of separate units within the structure of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Ukraine, which
concentrates their activities on relevant international legal acts and ensures cooperation in this direction.

Keywords: International treaties; International legal acts; Environmental law; Environmental protection; Law

1. Introduction An important role in resolving these issues is played by
environmental legislation, which is based on the principles
Due to the increase in anthropogenic impact on the and norms enshrined in the Constitution of Ukraine.
environment, the issues of environmental safety and The Constitution of Ukraine is the main legislative
nature protection are becoming increasingly significant. act regulating environmental relations. Based on the

Volume 22 Issue 3 (2025) 153 doi: 10.36922/AJWEP025160118