Access to justice in environmental matters
Effectiveness of environmental class actions
Date: 16. – May 17, 2024
Time: May 16, 2024 from 13:00 – 20:00 / May 17, 9:00 to 13:00
Location: Representation of the State of Saxony-Anhalt to the Federal Government, Luisenstraße 18, 10117 Berlin
Programm: Symposium-Umweltverbandsklage
Ansprechpartnerin: Luisa Schneider
Do environmental class actions lead to more environmental protection? On the effectiveness of access to justice in environmental matters
The symposium on environmental class actions took place on May 16 and 17, 2024 in Berlin with around 80 participants. Documentation of the event can be found on this page.
During the event, the effectiveness of environmental lawsuits as an instrument for protecting the environment was discussed. Despite the demonstrable legal success of these lawsuits, the question arises as to what extent they actually contribute to practical improvements in environmental protection and nature conservation. The symposium was also the final workshop of the Legal Protection 2 project carried out by UfU on behalf of the BMUV and the UBA to scientifically monitor the development of legal protection in environmental matters at European, international and national level in the 20th legislative period. In the last legislative period, UfU investigated unanswered questions on the impact of collective actions in environmental protection and nature conservation on behalf of the BMUV and the UBA. You can view the final report on the previous project here.
The symposium offered a review and an outlook on the environmental association lawsuit. The focus was on:
- the latest empirical legal evaluations of legal action in Germany
- the effectiveness of environmental class actions from an interdisciplinary perspective
- the discussion of the amendment to the Environmental Appeals Act 2024
- and legal protection under EU law in environmental matters.
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Conference Report & Presentations
Conference report
A detailed conference report on the individual topics can be downloaded using the button below.
Presentations
The presentations of all lectures are listed below and available for download.
Topic block I: Representative actions in practice – current findings
- Neue Ergebnisse zum Klagegeschehen 2021 – 2023
Prof. Dr. Alexander Schmidt, Hochschule Anhalt - Welche Umweltverbände nutzen das Verbandsklagerecht?
Dr. Michael Zschiesche, UfU - Qualitative Interviews: Einblicke aus Justiz, Anwaltschaft, Behörden, Umweltverbänden & Wirtschaft zur Verbandsklage
Luisa Schneider, UfU
Thematic block II: Effectiveness of environmental class actions from an interdisciplinary perspective
- Perspektive der Rechtswissenschaft
RA‘in Dr. Franziska Heß, Baumann Rechtsanwälte - The perspective of political science
Alix Weigel, Open University of Hagen - Perspective of the environmental associations
Matthias Walter, DUH
Topic block III: Amendment of the UmwRG 2024
- Current status of the legislative process
Isabel Lang, Ref. G I 2 Interdisciplinary Environmental Law, Planning Acceleration, BMUV - Kommentar aus Sicht von Vorhaben-trägern und Zulassungsbehörden
RA Dr. Frank Fellenberg, Redeker Sellner Dahs - Commentary from the perspective of environmental associations
Attorney Dirk Teßmer, Philipp-Gerlach Teßmer Attorneys at Law
Thematic block IV: News on legal protection under EU law in environmental matters
- Perspektive der Rechtswissenschaft
Prof. Dr. Angela Schwerdtfeger, Universität Göttingen - Perspektive der Praxis
Sebastian Bechtel, Client Earth Brüssel