Environmental protection is an essential condition for ensuring environmental security, sustainable economic and social development of society. This Law establishes the legal basis for environmental protection, nature management, preservation and reproduction of biological diversity, natural resources and objects and is aimed at ensuring the constitutional rights of citizens to an environment that is favorable for life and health. When drafting legislative acts of the Republic of Belarus, it should not be allowed to include provisions in them, the implementation of which may entail an increase in the harmful effect on the environment. The main objectives of the legislation of the Republic of Belarus on environmental protection shall be set forth as follows: (a) providing a favorable environment; (b) regulation of relations in the field of protection of natural resources, their use and reproduction; (c) prevention of the harmful effects on the environment of economic and other activities; (d) improving the quality of the environment; and (e) ensuring rational (sustainable) use of natural resources. The economic and other activities of legal entities and citizens that have an impact on the environment should be carried out on the basis of the following principles: (a) respect for the right of citizens to a favorable environment and compensation for damages caused by the violation of this right; (b) providing favorable conditions for the life and health of citizens; (c) scientifically substantiated combination of environmental, economic and social interests of citizens, society and the state in order to ensure a favorable environment; (d) protection, rational (sustainable) use of natural resources and their reproduction as necessary conditions for ensuring a favorable environment and ecological safety; (e) precautionary nature of measures to protect the environment and prevent damages to the environment; (f) state regulation of environmental protection and environmental management; (g) payment of special use of natural environment and compensation for damages caused to the environment; (h) economic incentives for the rational (sustainable) use of natural resources; (i) independence of control in the field of environmental protection, rational use of natural resources; (j) consideration of the natural and socio-economic characteristics of the territories, including the regime of protection and use of protected areas, natural territories subject to special protection, and biosphere reserves, when planning and implementing economic and other activities; (k) priority of preserving natural ecological systems, typical and rare natural landscapes, biotopes and natural complexes; (l) permissibility of the impact of economic and other activities on the environment, taking into account the requirements in the field of environmental protection; (m) obligation to participate in environmental protection activities of state bodies, public associations, other legal entities and citizens; (n) conservation of biological diversity; (o) ensuring an integrated and individual approach to the establishment of requirements in the field of environmental protection for legal entities and citizens engaged in economic and other activities or planning it; (p) presumption of environmental hazard of the planned economic and other activities; (q) reducing the harmful effects of economic and other activities on the environment through the use of best available technical methods and technologies that ensure compliance with environmental requirements, taking into account economic and social factors; (r) prohibition of economic and other activities that may lead to the degradation of natural ecological systems, changes and (or) destruction of the genetic stock of plant and animal objects, depletion of natural resources and other negative environmental changes; (s) publicity in the work of state bodies and public associations on the issues of environmental protection and provision of citizens with complete, reliable and timely environmental information; (t) prevention of combining the functions of state regulation, management and control in the field of environmental protection, rational use of natural resources and environmental management functions; (u) responsibility for violation of the legislation of the Republic of Belarus on environmental protection; (v) ensuring the promotion of knowledge in the field of environmental protection and environmental management and the formation of ecological culture; and (w) international cooperation of the Republic of Belarus in the field of environmental protection. This Law consists of 17 Chapters divided into 105 Articles. Chapter 1 lays down general provisions. Chapter 2 regards state management in the field of environmental protection. Chapter 3 establishes rights and duties of natural persons and legal entities, social ecologists in the field of environmental protection, authorizes public participation in the discussion of projects related to environmentally sensitive decisions, reporting on environmental impact assessment. Chapter 4 regards nature management. Chapter 5 regards environmental rate setting, measurement and ecological certification. Chapter 6 sets forth environmental standards and requirements. Chapter 7 regards protection of ozone layer and regulation of climate change impact. Chapter 8 regards environmental impact assessment, strategic ecological assessment and environmental audit. Chapter 9 regards protected areas, natural ecosystems, national ecological network and biosphere reserves. Chapter 10 regards areas subject to ecological risks. Chapter 11 regards environmental monitoring. Chapter 12 regards ecological data collection, reporting and registration, and ecological information fund. Chapter 13 regards environmental education and research. Chapter 14 establishes economic mechanism of environmental protection. Chapter 15 regards control in the sphere of rational nature management in the process of performance of economic activities. Chapter 16 establishes liability for the infringement of environmental legislation. Chapter 17 regards international cooperation.