Environmental Law and Policy

Sylabus

Outline of the Course

The state of the environment (global, European and national level). International, Europeanand Czech environmental policy Environmental law (system, principles, instruments), transposition and implementation of international and EU environmental law, institutional safeguards for environmental protection

Access to environmental information, public participation in environmental decision-making. Ownership and environmental protection. Role of the justice (courts) in the protection of environment

Main horizontal legislation I: Land-use planning

Main horizontal legislation II: EIA, IPPC

The liability system of environmental protection

Air pollution regulation. Earth’s climate system protection

Water resources protection

Biodiversity and nature protection  

Agriculture land and forest protection

Regulation of sources of endangerment: Waste

Course Goals:

The goal of the course is to give to the students general understanding of the environmental problems in their mutual consequences and of the role of the environmental law.

Reading List

DAMOHORSKÝ, M.: Czech Environmental Law, 2nd edition, Charles University, Prague, 2006KISS, A. - SHELTON, D.: Manual of European Environmental Law, Cambridge University Press, 2nd Edition, 1997KRÄMER, L.: European Environmental Law, Sweet and Maxwell, 6th Edition, 2007KRÄMER, L.: Casebook on European Environmental Law, Hart, 2002SCHEUER, S. (ed.): EC Environmental Policy Handbook - A critical Analysis of EU Environmental Legislation, EEB, 2005State Environmental Policy (2002-2010), Ministry of the EnvironmentReport of the Environment of the Czech republic 2007

Anotace

The course provides a comprehensive overview of the legal regulation of environmental protection at the EU and Czech national levels. It starts with a description of the state of the environment and explanation of the concept of environmental policy.

It further continues with general issues such as the relationship between the EU law and national laws of Member States and the role of law as a tool of environmental policy. It pays attention to certain cross-cutting issues (such as liability in environmental protection, institutional safeguards, public participation, role of courts) before dealing with specific topics such as land-use planning, environmental impact assessment, protection of individual components of the environment (air, water, land, forests, nature) and regulation of specific sources of endangerment of the environment and human health (waste, industrial accidents).

The final exam is composed of a written test based on the knowledge transmitted during the course and a group presentation (2-4 students from at least two different countries) on a topic chosen from a list proposed by lecturers.