Environmental Law Lecture Series

Freely accessible after registration

 Strengthening EU Environmental Law: Legal Perspectives on Greening Europe

This lecture series provides a set of important insights from environmental law scholars across Europe on how EU environmental law helps to achieve the aim of a high level of environmental protection in the European Union, including impacts of EU environmental law across the world. 

With the European Green Deal from 11 December 2019 the European Commission tabled an ambitious legislative program, based on fundamental aims such as zero pollution, do no harm, and climate neutrality. Many legal developments took place and are still on-going, both at the European and national regulatory levels as in the courtroom, including the national courts. While efforts to protect the environment are direly needed, including effective implementation and enforcement, the regulatory acquis, and the flow of case law, has become utterly complex which poses challenges for acquiring a good understanding and application. Lectures will pay attention on how also after the elections for the European Parliament in June 2024 the environmental acquis of the EU and its application will develop.

Upcoming Lecture: Thursday, 20 February 2025
We are pleased to invite you to the upcoming lecture in our Environmental Law series, Associate Professor Melita Carević from the University of Zagreb. Professor Carević is an expert in European Public Law and EU Climate Change Law and holds the Jean Monnet Module "Climate Change Law in the EU".

In this lecture, Professor Carević will explore the EU's legally binding climate neutrality target and the pivotal role of carbon removals in achieving net-zero emissions. While the EU increasingly relies on both natural and technological carbon sinks, challenges remain regarding scalability, verification, and policy integration. The talk will also discuss the latest regulatory developments, including the Carbon Removals and Carbon Farming Regulation (EU/2024/3012), and critically assess whether carbon removals can be a reliable pathway to the Union’s 2050 neutrality goal.

Recorded lectures
This freely accessible online (and hybrid) lecture series started in March 2023 and will be continued in the academic year 2024-2025. All lectures have been recorded and are accessible through YouTube

Certificate of attendance
Maastricht University students will be invited to attend  the lectures on-site. Students are eligible for a certificate of attendance if they have attended at the least 3 lectures on-site and have signed the registration form. After registering for a lecture, you will receive a confirmation email. This email will contain instructions on how to request a certificate. For questions email to: law-greendeal-net@maastrichtuniversity.nl

This lecture series is part of the GreenDeal-NET initiative and hosted by MCEL and METRO, in cooperation with GLaw-Net.
 

Upcoming lectures

20 February 2025 
4:00 - 5:30 PM
Dr. Melita CarevićThe EU's path to climate neutrality and the role of carbon removalsClick here for the abstractRegister here
27 February 2025 
4:00 - 5:30 PM
Dr. Marijn van der SluisSpending 658 billion euro on climate action: assessing the impact, effectiveness, and institutional implications of EU climate fundingClick here for the abstractRegister here
20 March 2025
4:00 - 5:30 PM
Prof. Dr. Barbara Pozzo Environmental Liability: the difficulties in harmonizing liability for environmental harm in the EU.Click here for the abstractRegister here
17 April 2025
4:00 - 5:30 PM
Prof. Nathalie Hervé Fournereau Designing the future of European Water Law: Towards a European Blue Deal?Click here for the abstractRegister here

Recorded lectures

8 March 2023Prof Dr. Michael FaureCriminal Law as an Enforcement
System of the Environmental Acquis
Click here for the recording. 
You can find the abstract here
6 April 2023Prof. Fabrizio FracchiaThe Duty to Protect the Environment
From anthropocentrism as a right
to anthropocentrism as a duty towards
future generations.
Click here for the recording.
You can find the abstract here.
4 May 2023Prof. Helle Tegner AnkerEU competences and the energy crisis.
On renewables, biodiversity and energy security
Click here for the recording.
You can find the abstract here.
1 June 2023
 
Prof. Dr. Bándi GyulaThe Right of Future GenerationsClick here for the recording.
You can find the abstract here.
29 June 2023 Prof. Leonie ReinsWhere Eagles Dare: How much room for EU member states under the environmental guaranteeClick here for the recording. 
You can find the abstract here.
21 Sept. 2023Prof. Colin Reid and Dr. Sean WhittakerFreedom of Environmental InformationClick here for the recording. 
You can find the abstract here.
19 Oct. 2023Prof. Lorenzo SquintaniPublic Participation in the EU and other legal frameworks: towards a more effective public participation practiceClick here for the recording.
You can find the abstract here
9 Nov. 2023Dr. Ioanna HadjiyianniAccess to justice in environmental matters at EU levelClick here for the recording.
You can find the abstract here.
7 Dec. 2023Prof. Mariolina Eliantonio Access to justice in environmental matters before national courts and the role of the CJEU’s case lawClick here for the recording.
You can find the abstract here.
8 Feb. 2024Ass. Prof. Annalisa Volpato and Prof. Ellen VosThe institutional architecture of EU environmental governance 
The role of EU agencies  
Click here for the recording.
You can find the abstract here.
22 Feb. 2024Prof. Estelle BrossetGreening EU Environmental Law: What about the European Climate Law?Click here for the recording.
You can find the abstract here.
14 March 2024 Prof. Marjan PeetersTo fall in love with the EU Emissions Trading instrument?
Opportunities and challenges of this core pillar of EU climate law
Click here for the recording.
You can find the abstract here.
25 April 2024Prof. Stefan E. WeishaarThe Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism
Encouragement of Cleaner Industries across the World?
Click here for the recording.
You can find the abstract here.
13 June 2024    Prof. Dr. Thomas SchomerusEU Energy Efficiency Law - opportunities and barriersClick here for the recording.
You can find the abstract here.
19 September 2024 Prof. Dr. An CliquetMake Europe wild again: International commitments and European obligations on nature conservation and restorationClick here for the recording.
Click here for the abstract
31 October 2024Prof. Dr. Dominic CoppensThe Global Plastic Treaty negotiations: 
The dynamic between the EU's multilateral and internal green agenda
Click here for the recording.
Click here for the abstract 
14 November 2024Dr. Suvi-Tuuli PuharinenEU Marine Environmental Law: Building a Safe Haven for Marine Life or Getting Lost at the Sea?Click here for the recording. 
Click here for the abstract
28 November 2024Prof Dr. Martin Führ and Dr. Julian SchentenFake it ´till you make it:
Regulatory control of chemical risks in reach
Click here for the recoding. Click here for the abstract. 
6 February 2025mr. dr. L.S. (Lolke) Braaksma and prof. mr. H.D. (Hanna) TolsmIntegrated Pollution Prevention and Control: A Critical Legal Perspective on All-inclusive IntegrationClick here for the recording. Click here for the abstract. 

 

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