Purpose. The article is aimed at analyzing the general theoretical principles and the essential characteristics of legal restrictions in environmental law; defining category of “environmental legal restrictions”, their content, system and the status of the respective legislation. Methodology. The methodology consists in carrying out a comprehensive analysis of the provisions of environmental legislation and formulating relevant conclusions on this basis. During the research, the following methods of scientific research were used: terminological, systemic and structural, comparative legal, structural and functional. Results. The objectively determined necessity of unconditional adherence to the legally established environmental requirements, prohibitions and restrictions as well as their potential scientifically substantiated enhancement in order to achieve environmentally significant goals oriented towards the priorities of sustainable development is substantiated. Restrictive mechanisms are scattered across statutory and regulatory acts of different legal force and even different branches of law, therefore, the need for their systematization and unification as well as generalization of the experience of their practical implementation in order to establish a comprehensive system of environmental restrictions is discussed. In our opinion, the conceptual basis and general essential characteristics of public environmental requirements and restrictions should be reflected in the future Environmental Code of Ukraine. Scientific novelty. In the course of the research, the author defines restrictions in environmental law as a specific sectoral imperative mechanism for regulating relations in the field of environmental safety, which consists in systematically introducing legislation on imperative provisions of environmental law as well as establishing specific legal regimes and mechanisms for their application and implementation. Practical significance. The main conclusions can be used in law-making and law-enforcing activities, as well as in further theoretical and legal research and in the educational process.
