Insegnamento a.a. 2025-2026

The course covers the main areas of substantive EU environmental law building on the core subject of Administrative Law.

Environmental law is concerned with the law relating to the protection of the environment and includes areas such as EU nature conservation law, environmental impact assessment, industrial emissions controls. A dedicate module will address climate change regulation and climate change litigation. Additionally, the course introduces the students to the evolving role of private actors, particularly multinational companies, in driving the green transition and shaping environmental governance.

• Gain a deeper legal understanding of EU environmental principles and the concept of sustainable development
• Understand the complex nature of environmental issues
• Analyse the various regulatory strategies involved in dealing with environmental problems and the role of the key actors involved in implementing such strategies within the EU
• Understand and discuss the new role of public and private bodies in the pursuit of environmental goals
• Gain a solid understanding of the new European ESG legal framework and its intrinsic rationale.
• Foster team work, critical and analytical analysis and problem solving (especially through case studies and class projects)

• Discuss the way public bodies address environemntal issues
• Critically assess the broader articulation of the role of companies and their capability to address harms to society or the environment
• Be aware of relevant stakeholders, their preferences, and the path by which they can influence EU environmental law.
• Locate, read, and analyze EU and domestic environmental law and case law

• Lectures
• Guest speaker's talks (in class or in distance)
• Practical Exercises
• Collaborative Works / Assignments

Teaching method is based on active learning and includes lectures and several case studies (as an aid to understanding). Students are expected to ensure regular class attendance (at least 75%) and to actively participate in class discussions and teamwork. Slides and other materials are made available to students beforehand in order to facilitate note taking.

Attending students sit a written close book exam consisting of one case (a hypothetical scenario the solution to which requires familiarity with, and mastery of, the course materials) to be answered in 60 minutes. This counts as of 85% of the exam. Students can sit this kind of exam only in the first two exam dates.

Students also work in couples to prepare a presentation on a case selected at the beginning of the year: the presentation counts as of 15% of the grade.

The final exam aims to assess the solid understanding of the EU (and, where relevant, the international) legal framework that applies to key environmental problems, including climate change, protection of the environmental media, nature protection and the control of industrial emissions

The final written exam consisting of 3 open questions and 8 multiple choice questions to be answered in 60 minutes. This counts as of 100% of the exam.

The final exam aims to assess the solid understanding of the EU legal framework that applies to key environmental problems, including climate change, protection of the environmental media, nature protection and the control of industrial emissions.

J. van Zeben, A. Rowell, A guide to EU environmental law, 2020, University of California Press, ISBN-10 0520295226.

Other materials and selected readings will be indicated at the beginning of the course and will be available online.

Notes will be provided with slides.