Even though the European Convention on Human Rights does not enshrine any right to a healthy environment as such, the European Court of Human Rights has been called upon to develop its case-law in environmental matters on account of the fact that the exercise of certain Convention rights may be undermined by the existence of harm to the environment and exposure to environmental risks.
The new section includes ten case studies showing how judgments from the European Court of Human Rights have helped to change national policies and practices on the environment, to the benefit of the people directly involved and society as a whole.
Examples include better protections against noise pollution in Croatia, new curbs on industrial activities in Romania, and improved air quality rules in Georgia. People’s ability to challenge decisions affecting their local environment has also been strengthened in countries including Belgium and Sweden. The environment section of the website is currently available in English and French. It is currently being translated into German, Russian and Turkish. Additional sections on violence against women and the right to health are due to be added to the website by the end of the year.
Click here to view the new section of the website.