The EU's climate change policies and laws before the Court of Justice of the European Union

 

Project description

 

The subject of climate change has not only emerged on the European Union's policy agenda since the Paris Agreement: climate and energy measures have been already adopted in 2008 and further strengthend in 2019 by the European Commission's so called Green Deal, creating legally binding targets of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. However, while the European Union has set itself those eager goals, a case was pending before the European Moot Court of Justice against the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union. The Applicants claimed, that the EU's existing 2030 climate goals are an inandequate response to the effects of climate change, thus violating fundamental rights of the plaintiffs.

In this seminar, students thus took part in a Moot Court, simluating a hearing about aforementioned case. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, a summer school in Brussels could unfortunately not take place. However, the students were able to enjoy several online lectures by well-known academics and EU practitioners, preparing them for the final negotiation in a simulated European Court of Justice session on July, 10th 2021.