In a declaration made today in Strasbourg at a conference on environmental protection and human rights, the Georgian Presidency of the Committee of Ministers called to review the relevant Council of Europe legal arsenal and complement it by adopting a recommendation and a strategy in this field.
Beyond the Bern Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats (1979) and the European Landscape Convention (2000), the Council of Europe has developed further legal standards that need to be implemented and upgraded in light of current urgent environmental and climate challenges, says the declaration.
Among these legal instruments is the Convention on the Protection of the Environment through Criminal Law (1998) which should be updated in order to provide clearer legal obligations, stronger sanctions for environmental crime and more effective international co-operation, in particular when organised crime is involved. The Convention on Civil Liability for Damage Resulting from Activities Dangerous to the Environment (1993) should also be reviewed to provide more effective protection.
The Georgian Presidency encourages the European Court of Human Rights and the European Committee of Social Rights to further substantiate their case-law and give priority consideration to complaints involving issues of environmental protection.
Besides the drafting of a recommendation on Human Rights and Environment, the Georgian Presidency also proposes to launch a strategy covering five priorities:
- awareness-raising and professional training: an online training course under the HELP Programme is already under preparation;
- co-operation programmes to support a rights-based approach in the definition and implementation of sustainability policies;
- the development of legislation, policies and strategies at national level;
- political coordination among member states for a greater impact on the international scene;
- making Council of Europe’s activities more environmentally conscious in order to reduce the negative environmental impact of its activities.
