Speakers‘ contributions: Access to Justice in Environmental Matters

Setting the scene

• Access to justice on environmental matters and the Aarhus Convention

The Aarhus requirements and EU law

• EU environmental law and the Aarhus Convention
• Right to bring a legal challenge (legal standing)
• Case study on legal standing – Focus on industrial emissions
• Scope and standard of judicial review: EU law
• Effective remedies – obligation of a national judge
• Litigation costs and time limits of the procedures
• Access to justice in specific EU environmental law instruments
• Case study on judicial review and effective remedies – focus on the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Directive

Enforcement at national level

• Preliminary reference procedure for interpretation and validity in the context of EU judicial protection in environmental cases
• Case study on the role of a judge when dealing with environmental cases at the national level – preliminary ruling

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