Environmental Litigation in Germany Peter Kessler Ecoconsult - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

ecologic.de

Environmental Litigation in Germany

Peter Kessler Ecoconsult Ecologic

ecologic.de Datum ecologic.de 2

Overview

• Background
• Civil Law and Environmental Litigation
• Public Law and Environmental

Litigation

• Outlook

ecologic.de

Background

ecologic.de Datum ecologic.de 4

The Importance of Environmental Protection

• Local, Regional and Global Problems
• Who Protects Environmental Commons

and Future Generations?

• Environmental Policy as a State Task
• Environmental Law as the Means of

Implementation

ecologic.de Datum ecologic.de 5

The Federal Republic of Germany Federal Structure:

• Federation (Bund)
• Regional States

(Länder)

• Municipalities

(Kommunen)

ecologic.de Datum ecologic.de 6

The Judiciary System

• Federal, Regional and Local Courts
• Hierarchically Organised
• Different Judicial Tracks:

Constitutional Courts Civil and Penal Courts Administrative Courts Other Courts

ecologic.de Datum ecologic.de 7

Evolution of Environmental Litigation

• First Phase:

Protection of Property against Nuisance

• Second Phase:

Enforcement of Environmental Rights and Duties

• Third Phase:

Public Interest Litigation and Recognition of Environmental NGOs

ecologic.de Datum ecologic.de 8

Constitutional Aspects

• Federalism, Democracy and the Rule
• f Law
• Division of Powers
• Guaranteed Recourse to the Judiciary
• State Objective of Environmental

Protection

ecologic.de Datum ecologic.de 9

Public Interest Litigation: A Comparison

• Different Levels of Access to Justice
• Crucial Difference: Role of

Environmental Interest Groups

• Majority of States Afford Easy Access
• Fairly Restrictive Tradition in Germany

ecologic.de Datum ecologic.de 10

The European Union

• Active European Union Legislature
• Convergence of Member State Laws
• Legislation on Public Participation

and Information

• Legislative Proposal on Access to

Justice in Environmental Matters

ecologic.de

Civil Law and Environmental Litigation

ecologic.de Datum ecologic.de 12

Claims Based on General Civil Law

• Allows Claims to Avert or Compensate

Environmental Damage

• Property Protection

Sections 1004 and 906 of the Civil Code

• Tort Law

Sections 823 et sqq. of the Civil Code

• Liability Rules in Environmental Law

ecologic.de Datum ecologic.de 13

Claims Based on the Environmental Liability Act

• Environmental Liability Act of 1990
• Strict Liability for Damage from

Installations

• Coverage: Accidents and Normal

Operation

• Presumption of Causality
• But: Exculpation Rule for Operators

ecologic.de

Public Law and Environmental Litigation

ecologic.de Datum ecologic.de 15

Individual Rights Proceedings in Public Environmental Law

Adressees of Detrimental Decision always have Legal Standing

Addressee

Health, Property Rights Procedural Rights of Associations According to the Federal Nature Protection Act Examples

Yes

Substantive Provisions

• f the Federal Nature

Conservation Act Simple Procedural Rights Examples

No

Must Base Claim on Individual Rights...

"Neighbour"

...of a Protected Third Person

Third Person Claimant Asserts Impairment of Individual Rights

ecologic.de Datum ecologic.de 16

Public Interest Proceedings in Public Environmental Law

• Based on Section 61 of the Federal

Nature Protection Act

• Legal Standing for Recognised

Environmental Associations

• Limited to Actions for Rescission
• Restricted Subject Matter and

Grounds for Action (cont’d)

ecologic.de Datum ecologic.de 17

Public Interest Proceedings in Public Environmental Law

Exemptions from Nature Protection Requirements Plan Establishment Decisions Plan Approval Decisions Other Decisions Admissible Approval of Buildings, Roads, Industrial Facilities, and others Inadmissible Subject Matters Violation of Federal Nature Protection Act Violation of Provisions derived from the Federal Nature Protect. Act Violation of other Provisions intended for Nature Protection Admissible Incompetence Inadmissible Grounds for Action Recognised Association Affected within the Scope of its Activities Entitled to Participate in the Procedure Preceeding the Challenged Decision Actual Participation in that Procedure Capacity to Act Section 61 of the Federal Nature Protection Act

ecologic.de Datum ecologic.de 18

Common Rules

• Decisive Point in Time

Adoption of Administrative Act, not of Judgment

• Judicial Scrutiny

Comprehensive Judicial Review, except for

• Decisions based on Administrative Discretion
• Decisions with a Prognostic Component

ecologic.de Datum ecologic.de 19

Public Interest Proceedings: Example 1

• Construction of Wind Power Plant in Nature

Reserve

• Substantive Focus: Exemption from Nature

Protection Requirements

• Differing Decisions and Expert Opinions
• Result: Administrative Court Potsdam

Rescinds Decision of Federal Ministry

ecologic.de Datum ecologic.de 20

Public Interest Proceedings: Example 2

• Construction of Federal Highway A 20
• Substantive Focus: Balancing of Interests
• Claimant: Nature Protection Interests

Insufficiently Considered

• Court: Applies Restrictive Judicial Review

“no error in appreciation of interests”

• Result: Federal Administrative Court

Upholds Plan Establishment Decision

ecologic.de

Outlook

ecologic.de Datum ecologic.de 22

Outlook

• Individual Rights Proceedings Unlikely to

Change

• Ongoing Debate on Public Interest

Proceedings

25 June 2003: European Directive on Access to Justice 25 June 2005: Deadline for Implementation June 2006: European Commission Institutes Proceedings against Germany 13 July 2006: German Bill does not Extend Scope of Present Public Interest Litigation

ecologic.de

Thank you for listening.

Peter Kessler Ecoconsult Ecologic Pfalzburger Str. 43-44, D-10717 Berlin

• +49-30-86880-0,
• +49-30-86880-100, www.ecologic.de