Historical aspects of legal support of environmental policy in Ukraine

The article is devoted to the analysis of the legal support of environmental policy in Ukraine. Based on the analysis of the articles of the Constitution of Ukraine, which guarantees citizens the right to a safe environment, it is assumed that the state is obliged to ensure environmental safety and preservation of the environment. It was emphasized that the environmental policy of Ukraine should be aimed at protecting the environment, rational use of natural resources and ensuring environmental safety. The author analyzed a number of normative legal acts that determine the priority vectors of environmental policy in Ukraine at various stages of the development of its statehood - starting from 1991 to the present day. Taking into account the goals of the state environmental policy, declared accordingly in the strategies, a conclusion was made about the urgency of environmental issues in the state management system and increased attention from the state to the definition, detailing, analysis and selection of alternative options for solving the environmental problems that have arisen. It was noted that environmental policy is gradually acquiring the characteristics of a full-fledged state policy and the corresponding sphere of state administration, where the state does not simply declare general goals, but defines tasks in the appropriate directions for the possibility of monitoring the effectiveness of state­management decisions and, if necessary, their further adjustment. The growing environmental crisis forces us to recognize that issues of environmental protection should become a priority for the Ukrainian authorities. The state should not only set goals, but also monitor their achievement and adjust plans if necessary. Ukraine should make environmental safety one of its main priorities. Without a healthy environment, it is impossible to build a healthy society. The future of Ukraine depends on how we treat nature today.