National projects 2019-2024: “Comprehensive plan for the modernization and expansion of main infrastructure” and “Ecology”: selected implementation results, challenges, and institutional aspects

This study explores the interrelation between the implementation of two key national projects of the Russian Federation - the Comprehensive Plan for the Modernization and Expansion of Main Infrastructure (CPMI) and the Ecology project. It identifies the specific institutional and legal mechanisms that either facilitate or hinder their coordinated implementation. Particular attention is paid to both the role of these large-scale projects in the country’s economic development and the contradictions that arise during the accelerated realization of infrastructure initiatives under weakened environmental control requirements. These contradictions manifest in reduced procedural transparency, increased violations of environmental legislation, and the degradation of specially protected natural areas. The study provides concrete examples of negative impacts, as well as positive cases that demonstrate the potential for synergy - from the modernization of transport and industrial facilities to the restoration of disturbed ecosystems. It offers a set of recommendations for institutional and regulatory measures aimed at achieving a balance between economic development and environmental safety: reinstating the mandatory state environmental review (SER), introducing strategic environmental assessment (SEA), digitalizing procedures, developing damage compensation mechanisms, and preventing changes to the boundaries of protected areas without public consent. Thus, the integration of the goals of the CPMI and Ecology projects into future national and federal initiatives in this domain may serve as a foundation for sustainable territorial development, provided that environmental priorities are upheld and effective stakeholder engagement is ensured.