Principles Of European Environmental Law

EU Environmental Law discusses the reality for legal practice throughout the EU, as environmental law of the Member States is becoming ever less 'national'. Consequentially European environmental regulation is becoming more complex and interrelated, making it an emerging field of study for European law graduates, and an area of increasing exposure to the legal profession. This book gives readers a thorough overview of core European environmental law, with a section on the basic framework and principles, as well as on substantive law issues giving insight into the legislation in the different sectors and the most topical developments.

The precautionary principle, the polluters pay principle, and similar principles have become embedded in the language of contemporary environment policy. In this important new study, leading European experts in environmental law consider the legal significance of such environmental principles, both in jurisprudential theory and in practice before the courts. The development of the principles within the European Treaty is considered as well as the approach of the European Court of Justice to their interpretation. But it is the interpretation of environmental principles in front of national courts within Europe that forms the heart of the study, with chapters covering a number of the key Europe jurisdictions. The study, the first of its kind, presents a dynamic picture of environmental case law across Europe.

This book traces the evolution of environmental principles from their origins as vague political slogans reflecting fears about environmental hazards to their embodiment in enforceable laws. Environmental law has always responded to risks posed by industrial society but the new generation of risks have required a new set of environmental principles, emerging from a combination of public fears, science, ethics, and established legal practice. This book shows how three of the most important principles of modern environmental law grew out of this new age of ecological risk: the polluter pays principle, the preventive principle, and the precautionary principle. Since the first edition was published, the principles of polluter-pays, prevention, and precaution have been encapsulated in a swathe of legislation at domestic and international level. Courts have been invoking environmental law principles in a broad range of cases, on issues including GMOs, conservation, investment, waste, and climate change. As a result, more States are paying heed to these principles as catalysts for improving their environmental laws and regulations. This edition will integrate to a greater extent the relationship between environmental principles and human rights. The book analyses new developments including the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, the case law of the European Court of Human Rights, which has continuously carved out environmental duties from a number of rights enshrined in the European Convention of Human Rights, and the implementation of the UNECE Convention on Access to Information.

Written by two internationally respected scholars, this unique primer distills European Union environmental law and policy into a practical guide for a nonlegal audience, as well as for lawyers trained in other jurisdictions. The first part explains the basics of the European legal system, including key actors, types of laws, and regulatory instruments. The second part describes the EU’s overarching legal strategies for environmental management and delves into how the EU addresses the specific environmental issues of pollution, ecosystem management, and climate change. Chapters include summaries of key concepts and discussion questions, as well as informative "spotlights" offering brief overviews of topics. With a highly accessible structure and useful illustrative features, A Guide to EU Environmental Law provides a long-overdue synthetic resource on EU environmental law for students and for anyone working in environmental policy or environmental science.

For some, a protectionist policy underlies most environmental measures. Lawyers working in the area of fundamental freedoms are very accustomed to discussing all issues within a free market framework and therefore often come to market-friendly decisions. Similarly, while environmental law has taken on a renewed intensity at European level, the tendency has been to analyse the subject rather narrowly, and studies fail to address the impact of environmental law on market integration. Written by one of the foremost experts in the area, the book challenges current thought and re-assesses the rules of economic integration within an environmental framework. In so doing, it bridges the gap between environmental and trade law and provides a systematic, robust, and practically workable analytical framework of the conflicts opposing rapidly evolving environmental and climate change measures and internal market as well as competition rules. The book is divided into three parts, beginning with a systematic and in-depth analysis of the key Treaty provisions regarding environmental protection, as well as an overview of secondary environmental law. Part two addresses the compatibility of EU and national environmental protection measures with the provisions of the TFEU on the free movement of goods and services, and the freedom of establishment. Part three examines the compatibility of environmental protection measures with treaty provisions on the freedom of competition and State aids. The book also includes discussion of all major cases handed down by the Court of Justice, highlighting the real impact of the conflicts.

An accessible and comprehensive resource, EU Environmental Law and Policy explains the structure and logic of EU environmental law and enables readers to quickly gain a thorough understanding of the different areas of EU secondary law pertaining to the protection of the environment. This volume explores the institutional, constitutional, and historical premises for the adoption and application of substantive EU environmental law and further expounds upon the dynamics between EU Member States and the EU. The book additionally provides an introduction to the specific subject areas of EU environmental law through thematic chapters that analyse important topics such as climate and energy, water, and biological diversity. Each area is explained in detail, including a discussion of the specific features that characterize each area and an overview of the main legal acts and case law relevant to the particular area.

This comprehensive Research Handbook discusses how the EU has used its regulatory power to steer towards environmentally friendly behaviour, delving into the deep concerns related to the compliance with and enforcement of EU environmental law. It also highlights the important role of civil society’s use of environmental procedural rights, and characterizes how the CJEU case law has contributed to the effective implementation of EU environmental legislation.

This comprehensive book provides analysis and discussion on the following key issues in EU environmental law: environmental competence, principles and objectives, implementation and enforcement, nature protection, impact assessment, trade and the environment, waste management, climate change and the EU. An accessible work for all students of the subject both academic or professional.