Abstract: The subject of this research is the issues of improving one of the most important preventive tools in the field of the environment - Environmental impact assessment. Currently, there is a need to ratify Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment into Russian legislation. This will allow to implement into Russian legislation a positive international legal experience in this field and boost the development of national legislation. However, the implementation of international legal requirements should take into account the significant differences between the European and Russian models of environmental assessment. It is noted that the main difference between the Russian model of EIA consist in its close relationship with the ecological expertise. In fact EIA is considered by Russian law as an auxiliary procedure that precedes the ecological expertise, while the latter is given binding legal value. It is concluded that the ratification of Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context must inevitably push lawmakers to change the concept of EIA in Russia. The ratification of the Convention would bring with it a greater public participation in the environmental assessment procedures. It will also make necessary to determine what types of plans and programs can cause significant environmental consequences, which authorities are authorized to conduct a strategic assessment of plans and programs of any level - federal, regional or local - will be subject to evaluation.