DISTINCTION BETWEEN ENVIRONMENTAL CRIMES AND ADMINISTRATIVE OFFENSES: A COMPARATIVE LEGAL ANALYSIS OF THE LEGISLATION OF KAZAKHSTAN AND UZBEKISTAN

This article examines the distinction between environmental crimes and administrative offenses in the legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Republic of Uzbekistan. It analyzes the provisions of the Criminal Code and the Codes of Administrative Offenses regulating liability for violating environmental legislation. The author notes that environmental offenses come in a variety of forms, ranging from illegal logging and water pollution to poaching and failure to comply with waste management regulations. A key issue is the lack of clear criteria for distinguishing administrative offenses from environmental crimes. This leads to difficulties in law enforcement, a reduction in the preventive impact of the law, and an ineffective environmental protection system. A comparative analysis of the legislation of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan reveals that both countries apply similar approaches, but also have significant differences due to legal policies and national priorities. The article substantiates the need to harmonize national regulations with international standards, implement objective criteria for assessing environmental damage, develop judicial practice, and apply digital monitoring technologies. Also, in this research work, the author touched on the issue of calculating damages for violations committed in the field of environmental protection. It is concluded that improving the distinction between crimes and offences will strengthen environmental safety and increase the effectiveness of sustainable environmental management.