Human rights and environment: the impact of the European Convention on Human Rights

The Autumn Session 2021 (27-30 September 2021) of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly dedicated particular attention to the right to a healthy environment. Given the importance of the topic, the Council of Europe has also published a new “environment” section of its dedicated website highlighting the impact of the European Convention on Human Rights.

The new “environment” section presents 10 case studies showing how judgments from the European Court of Human Rights contributed to changing national policies and practices on the environment to benefit the people directly involved and society as a whole. Some examples describe 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 some countries like Belgium and Sweden.

The “environment” section of the website is currently available in English and French, although it will be translated soon also in German, Russian and Turkish. Additional sections on violence against women and the right to health will be published by the end of the year.