Target group
Members of the judiciary, lawyers, civil servants and members of the public administrations as well as private sector actors with an interest in EU environmental law. A legal background is not necessary to attend the course.

Description
With more than 200 legal acts currently in force at EU level, environment represents one of the most dense and far-reaching areas of EU law. EU environmental law covers a wide range of topics both sectoral such as for example waste management, nature protection or water management and horizontal such as public participation in environmental decision-making, environmental impact assessment or access to justice. All these topics are governed by a number of environmental principles both at EU level and national level.
This seminar offers a comprehensive overview of the main principles which govern EU environmental law such as the “polluter-pays” principle, the precautionary principle, the prevention principle, the rectification at source of environmental damage. The crucial issue of access to justice in environmental matters will also be covered.

Learning methodology
The programme has been designed in such a way as to offer a combination of presentations active discussions and case-studies based on real case-law from the Court of Justice of the European Union. Recent legislative and jurisprudential developments in the relevant areas will also be presented and discussed. The presentations will be given and the case-studies moderated by a small team of recognized experts and practitioners, with an emphasis on practical examples, active involvement of the participants and exchanges of experiences.

Objectives
• To provide a practical overview of the main principles of EU environmental law and their concrete application both at EU level and national level;
• To raise awareness with regard to the challenges of the enforcement of EU environmental law as well as to rights granted and obligations imposed by EU environmental law;
• To provide concrete tools for understanding and applying the principles of EU environmental law ;
• To fine-tune practical understanding of the relevance and impact of EU environmental legislation on the daily work and the mechanisms of its correct implementation into national systems;
• To provide a platform for the exchange of experience and information sharing.