Rechte der Natur oder Rechte für die Natur in der EU?

The rights of nature go further than existing EUenvironmental law, both in terms of content and in their procedural dimension. In particular, a more consistent application of the ‘in dubio pro natura' rule could improve the balancing result in favour of environmental protection. The more effective enforceability of nature's rights is not necessarily dependent on nature's legal subjects. It can also be realised through legal action on behalf of nature, in particular by NGOs and individuals. In order to ensure efficient legal protection in this respect, the state procedural regulations must not excessively restrict access to the court, and in particularmust notmake legal standing exclusively dependent on the assertion of specific private rights or interests. While the legal standing of environmental organisations is now well developed due to the Aarhus Convention and the case law of the ECJ, the legal protection of individuals remains unsecured for example in Germany in order to avoid popular actions. The underlying separation of general and individual interests is questionable in environmental protection. A mediating solution could be a procedural subjective human right to a healthy environment.

Autorin: Prof. Dr. Angelika Emmerich-Fritsche