Principles of European environmental law

Abstract:

This book is concerned with the legal significance of the core environmental principles in contemporary European legal systems, and explores how they are currently being used and applied by the judiciary in European countries to assist the resolution of legal disputes.

The work is organised over fourteen chapters. Following an introduction, chapter two considers the legal nature of environmental principles in international, EC and German law and offers a general concept of principles which can be applied to all levels of the law, national, regional and international. Chapter three looks at the historical development of the core environmental principles stated in Article 174 of the EC Treaty. Chapter four takes one of these, the precautionary principle, and examines its interpretation and application by the European Court of Justice. Chapters five through to twelve present case studies from Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom, while chapter thirteen looks at the experiences of the transition countries. The final chapter seeks to emphasise the role of several environmental principles on the evolution of the modern and post-modern law paradigms.

The book will interest practitioners, advanced students, and those concerned with the future development of environmental law and policy.