Home >
Law >
Environmental / Energy Law >
EU Environmental Policy and Law: Reflections at Fifty

New Arrival EU Environmental Policy and Law: Reflections at Fifty

EU Environmental Policy and Law: Reflections at Fifty

Author: Gerd Winter; Richard Macrory; Ludwig Krämer
Publisher: Europa Law Publishing
ISBN: 9789462513976
Published In: May 2026
Jurisdiction: Netherlands ? Disclaimer:
Countri(es) stated herein are used as reference only

Download Order Form

Add to Wishlist
| Add to Compare

Description
Contents

Details

The last 50 years have seen the creation of a remarkable body of EU environmental legislation, policy, and case-law.

But in an era of international turbulence, the rule of law is repeatedly being challenged. Economic pressures have led to intensified questioning of environmental protection measures. Environmental degradation continues. This major new book is therefore a timely exploration of critical issues concerning the current EU environmental acquis.

Written by 28 of today’s leading European environmental law scholars, all members of the Avosetta Group, it provides rich insights on problems and solutions, based on extensive personal experience and knowledge. The book will be essential reading for anyone concerned with the future of environmental law and policy.

In 27 chapters sectoral, horizontal and constitutional problems of EU environmental law are discussed. The topics addressed include:

Biodiversity conservation and nature restoration
Air quality
Water pollution and water scarcity
Climate change
Chemicals
Plant protection
Circular economy
Strategic Environmental Assessment
Direct regulation
Economic instruments
Implementation and enforcement
Environmental liability
Criminal law
Public access to information and participation
Principles of effective judicial protection
Rights of indigenous people exemplified with the Saami
Legislative design
Codification
Fundamental rights
Future generations and the law
The role of the Court of Justice of the EU
Critiques of ecological law and policy
External effects of EU environmental law and eco-legal transitology

Introduction and overview

Part A. Sectoral Policies

1. Protection of environmental media

Biodiversity conservation

Agustín García-Ureta, Marco Onida

Nature restoration as a binding legal duty in the EU: Quo Vadis after the last-minute adoption of the 2024 EU Nature Restoration Law?

Hendrik Schoukens

EU Air Quality Law: Past Paradoxes and Future Prospects

Eloise Scotford

Towards Zero Pollution for Water: Disenchanted Reflections on the 2025 EU Water Resilience Strategy

Nathalie Hervé-Fournereau

Addressing Water Scarcity in the Context of EU Environmental Law and in a Comprehensive Perspective

Vasiliki Karageorgou

Climate Change

Angel M. Moreno

2. Products

The EU chemicals legislation (REACH): a critical assessment

Angel M. Moreno

Plant protection products regulation at the crossroad

Nicolas de Sadeleer

Beyond the Bin: The EU’s Journey Toward a Circular Economy

Jiří Vodička

Part B. Horizontal measures

1. Instruments

What does the future hold for the Strategic Environmental Assessment Directive?

Ole Kristian Fauchald

In defence of direct regulation: on rigidity and overflexibilisation

Gerd Winter

Economic Instruments – Innovation, Evolution and Limitations

Markus Kern

2. Implementation

Implementation and enforcement of EU environmental law

Ludwig Krämer, Richard Macrory

Environmental Supervisory Bodies at National Level – Why We Need Them

Richard Macrory

Environmental Liability in the European Union

Emanuela Orlando

3. Liability

EU Environmental Criminal Law and its Effectiveness on the National Level

Rajko Knez

4. Democracy

Public Access to Environmental Information in the EU : Navigating the Complexity of the Regulatory Regime

Lana Ofak

Public Participation in environmental matters in the EU : the Aarhus Convention and its implementation in EU law

Jerzy Jendrośka

5. Legal protection

The principle of effective judicial protection in the EU

Jan Darpö

Land rights of the Sámi people and access to justice

Jan Darpö, Ole Kristian Fauchald, Leena Hansen, Timo Koivurova

6. Legislation

The evolution of the legislative approach in EU environmental law

Massimiliano Montini

Codification of environmental law on State and EU levels – A Long Way to Go

Simon Jolivet

Part C. Fundamental reflections

Fundamental Rights to Climate Protection in Europe : A Learning Field for the CJEU?

Gerd Winter

Future generations

Gyula Bándi

Environmental law in the jurisprudence of the Court of Justice of European Union – trends of a pro-ecological stance with elements of judicial restraint

Barbara Iwańska, Mariusz Baran

Environmental Policy and Law – Critique, Deficits and Limits

Bernhard Wegener

EU environmental measures with external effects: the rise of transitology and earth system law in the EU

Alexandra Aragao

References