Institutionalization of environmental protection as a factor of implementation of ecological policy at the level of legislation of subjects of the Russian Federation

The organizational conditions and legal foundations which need for formation and implementation of the Russian Federation’s constituent entities’ environmental policy are investigated. The concept of institutionalization in the field of environmental protection is introduced, defined as formalization and consolidation of environmental relations in the law. Based on the theoretical approaches of the environmental and legal science, the factors that influence the regulatory processes of environmental relations are substantiated. It is shown that a politically significant condition for the formation of environmental and legal institutions in regional law is the inclusion of environmental issues in the joint jurisdiction of the Russian Federation and its constituent entities in accordance with the Constitution of the Russian Federation. Possible directions of institutionalization of environmental protection activities at the regional level are identified. It is concluded that the further institutionalization of legal environmental protection should be based on special principles established by the Federal Law “On Environmental Protection”.