International and EU Environmental Law

This course offers an overview of how international and EU law responds to today’s most pressing environmental problems. It shows which unique solutions, and problems, the legal system presents in addressing these environmental problems. We discuss topics such as climate change, biodiversity, and the role of human rights. Overarching themes include the interaction and overlap of national and international legal systems in addressing environmental problems, and the role of individuals in these processes. In order to provide students with a solid foundation, fundamentals of national, EU and international (environmental) law are also set out, leading to the development of legal skills and knowledge that students can use beyond the current course.

After successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to:

• Discuss the main regulatory challenges for environmental law from a global, national and local perspective
• Identify the key public and private actors, institutions and processes of international and EU environmental law
• Appraise the different ways in which law can protect, and endanger, the environment
• Critically compare different regulatory approaches to environmental problems