(28 April 2017) – Today the European Commission adopted new guidelines help citizens gain better and fairer access to their national courts on environmental cases.
A guidance document on access to justice in environmental matters clarifies how individuals and associations can challenge decisions, acts and omissions by public authorities related to EU environmental law before national courts. The guidance is intended to help individuals and non-governmental organisations to decide whether to bring a case before national courts.
National courts can use it to help identify all the EU Court of Justice cases that they should take into account when they are faced with questions related to access to justice in environmental cases.
With this guidance, national administrations are made aware of possible shortcomings in their justice systems and businesses are provided with greater clarity on what EU rights and obligations are at stake in the decisions, acts and omissions that concern them.