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The environmental impact assessment (EIA) system in Uzbekistan was inherited from the USSR and is centred on state environmental review, a procedure for reviewing the impacts of proposed activities by environmental authorities. This is proving to be a less effective tool of environmental protection in the new political and economic conditions. Since the collapse of the USSR, the Uzbekistani EIA system has undergone gradual reform but the national EIA system remains almost identical to the ‘socialist’ system. At the same time, some elements are similar to those of EIA systems used in developed countries. The shortcomings of the system include unclear screening provisions and lack of public participation. The paper analyses strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats for the development of EIA in Uzbekistan, taking into account various political and economic factors.