The Habitats Directive in its EU Environmental Law Context

The Habitats Directive in its EU Environmental Law Context

Author: Charles-Hubert Born

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2014-11-27

Total Pages: 529

ISBN-13: 1317693043

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This book analyses the Habitats Directive; one of the most prominent piece of EU environmental legislation of the past decades. Seen by some as the cornerstone of Europe’s nature conservation policy, among other measures the Directive established the so-called "Natura 2000" ecological network, which covers more than 18% of the surface of the EU. However, despite the fact the Directive was adopted over twenty years ago only 17% of the protected habitats and species in Europe are being adequately protected while 10-60 % of animal species remain under threat. In light of the limited success and the contested nature of the Habitats Directive so far this book examines the successes and failures of the Habitats Directive from a legal and political angle. The book brings together international experts to consider the application, implementation and future of the Habitats Directive in order to assess whether the Habitats Directive is resilient enough to tackle biodiversity loss in the twenty- first century. Particular emphasis is put on the legal regime attached to the Natura 2000 network and its possible impact on land development and the relationship between the Habitats Directive and other topics including liability for ecological damage and transboundary nature conservation.


The Habitats Directive

The Habitats Directive

Author: Gregory Jones KC

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2012-11-05

Total Pages: 241

ISBN-13: 1782250220

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Biodiversity within the European Union is under threat. Almost a quarter of Europe's vascular plant species and 155 species of its native mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians are threatened with extinction. The Habitats Directive imposes a strict regime for environmental protection. But with the euro zone economy falling from 'stagnation' to 'contraction' in the second quarter of 2012 and the UK entering into a 'double dip' recession in April 2012, European governments face an economic crisis. The English courts have said that the Directive should not become a property developer's obstacle course. Yet the tensions between environmental protection and economic growth are all too readily apparent with the UK government stating both that we must 'arrest the decline in habitats and species and the degradation of landscapes' and later that 'gold plating of EU rules on things like habitats' was putting 'ridiculous costs' on business enterprise. Edited by Gregory Jones QC, The Habitats Directive: A Developer's Obstacle Course? brings together a unique combination of leading academics and practitioners in the field of European environmental and planning law to address and debate controversial issues arising from the Habitats Directive in an authoritative and practical manner. A must for anyone engaged in property development, planning and environmental law.


International Law and the Conservation of Biological Diversity

International Law and the Conservation of Biological Diversity

Author: Michael Bowman

Publisher: Kluwer Law International B.V.

Published: 1996-01-10

Total Pages: 350

ISBN-13: 9041108637

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This work presents a thorough analysis of the biodiversity concept in international law and commentary on the 1992 United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity which was opened for signature following the 1992 UN Conference on Environment and Development. This Convention is the first international treaty explicitly to address all aspects of biodiversity ranging from the conservation and sustainable use of biological resources, to access to biotechnology and the safety of activities related to modified living organisms. The work extends beyond the ambit of the Convention itself to examine the conservation of biodiversity in international law generally, including measures for the protection of the terrestrial, marine and Antarctic environment and particular features relating to sustainable use of biological resources, ex-situ conservation and plant genetic resources. It further analyses the controversial issue of intellectual property rights, the problems of implementation in the European Union and the United States, differences between developing and developed states and the role of indigenous peoples. This major new work has been written by members of the Committee on Environmental Law of the British Branch of the International Law Association following an earlier study on the subject of International Law and Global Climate Change (Graham & Trotman, 1991). It is the first major study of the Convention of the context in which it was negotiated, and of the prospects for its implementation, following the entry into force of the Convention on 29 December 1993.


Future Nature

Future Nature

Author: W.M. Adams

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2004-04-26

Total Pages: 295

ISBN-13: 1136533907

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The countryside is changing faster than ever. Fifty years of conservation achievements in the UK are now being confronted by a new complexion of economic forces that are driving change in the countryside. At the same time new ideas in conservation are altering the role that conservation is being asked to play in negotiating the transition from past to future. This revised edition of Bill Adams classic work Future Nature tackles the new challenges in the countryside and wildlife conservation head-on through a new Introduction and Postscript with updated arguments about naturalness and our social engagement with nature, and complemented by a new Foreword by Adrian Phillips. Concepts such as biodiversity and sustainability, and changes in our understanding, appreciation and concern for nature, offer unprecedented opportunities. Bill Adams explores the scientific, cultural and economic significance of conservation. He argues that conservation must move beyond the boundaries of parks and reserves to embrace the whole countryside. The importance of conservation for the future is enormous. It holds the potential to create new spaces for nature, both in the landscape and in our lives and imaginations. This factual, beautifully written and thought-provoking book offers a fundamental reassessment of conservation, its importance, and how to achieve it. Published with BANC


European Union Case Law on the Birds and Habitats Directives

European Union Case Law on the Birds and Habitats Directives

Author: Nina Claudia Miron

Publisher: Kluwer Law International B.V.

Published: 2023-12-11

Total Pages: 461

ISBN-13: 9403525673

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Energy and Environmental Law and Policy Series Despite the remarkable scope of EU conservation policy, and notwithstanding 30 years of relevant case law, nature in the EU continues to decline. This comprehensive book, focusing on the EU’s core legislation on nature, the Birds and Habitats Directives, presents a detailed summary and analysis of the two directives as interpreted by the Court of Justice of the European Union. The book’s systematic structure provides the crucial details of a large body of cases decided by the Court following legal actions taken by the European Commission or preliminary references submitted by national courts. It enables a clear procedural understanding of how nature cases are brought before the Court and how the Court approaches matters such as the burden of proof and the entitlement of environmental associations to litigate disputes. Among the salient areas of analysis are the following: the requirements for including sites within Natura 2000, the largest network of protected nature areas in the world; the obligations to conserve Natura 2000 sites and protect them from damage, including through procedural and substantive assessment requirements for plans and projects; requirements concerning unlawful or illegal activities; the strict protection requirements that apply to wild birds and other species, together with related derogation provisions; requirements to protect habitats in the wider countryside and interlinkages between the nature directives and directives on impact assessment, water, and environmental liability; challenges addressed or influenced by the Court, such as defects in Member State transposition, problems of monitoring and enforcing compliance, and dealing with harmful and benign subsidies; procedures used to bring cases to the Court, including direct actions by the Commission and preliminary references from national courts. According to the 2020 Global Risk Report of the World Economic Forum, biodiversity loss will be one of the biggest threats facing humanity in the next ten years. If nature is to have any hope of recovering and prospering, strict application of existing nature conservation rules is of utmost importance, especially as a recent evaluation shows that, although the EU nature directives are fit for purpose, implementation on the ground is lagging behind. By setting out the case law systematically and explaining what compliance with specific requirements entails, this book makes a signal contribution to nature conservation practice. Lawyers, policymakers, and NGOs working in the domain of nature conservation will greatly benefit.


Cases, Materials and Text on Judicial Review of Administrative Action

Cases, Materials and Text on Judicial Review of Administrative Action

Author: Chris Backes

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2019-08-08

Total Pages: 1031

ISBN-13: 1509921486

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This casebook studies the law governing judicial review of administrative action. It examines the foundations and the organisation of judicial review, the types of administrative action, and corresponding kinds of review and access to court. Significant attention is also devoted to the conduct of the court proceedings, the grounds for review, and the standard of review and the remedies available in judicial review cases. The relevant rules and case law of Germany, England and Wales, France and the Netherlands are analysed and compared. The similarities and differences between the legal systems are highlighted. The impact of the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights is considered, as well as the influence of EU legislative initiatives and the case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union, in the legal systems examined. Furthermore, the system of judicial review of administrative action before the European courts is studied and compared to that of the national legal systems. During the last decade, the growing influence of EU law on national procedural law has been increasingly recognised. However, the way in which national systems of judicial review address the requirements imposed by EU law differs substantially. The casebook compares the primary sources (legislation, case law etc) of the legal systems covered, and explores their differences and similarities: this examination reveals to what extent a ius commune of judicial review of administrative action is developing.