There are no prerequisites, but consider:
Administrative law or environmental law would be beneficial.
OPEN TO IE STUDENTS ENROLLED IN THE FOLLOWING DEGREES (SINGLE AND DUAL): OPEN TO ALL PROGRAMS
This class will explore environmental law, one of the fastest growing fields of international cooperation. In 1972, there were only a smattering of international environmental treaties. Today, hundreds of agreements have been negotiated, covering such diverse topics as acid rain, depletion of the ozone layer, climate change, protection of biological diversity, desertification, and transboundary movements of hazardous wastes and chemicals. This is an introductory course, which aims to provide students with a broad introduction to evolution of environmental law and its main topics (underlying principles and concepts, main actors, sources of law, law-making processes, implementation and enforcement mechanisms). All theoretical topics will be discussed in the context of current environmental problems.
The overarching question we will examine is: What role can law play in addressing environmental problems?
There is a set of knowledge-based learning outcomes and a set of competence-based learning outcomes. The knowledge-based learning outcomes are as follows. By successfully completing the environmental law course the students will be able to:
* understand and explain based on historical context and underlying principles and concepts the importance of environmental law as a key instrument of protecting the environment on different interconnected levels of governance (international, European, national, regional, local);
* Identify main actors involved in environmental governance on international and European;* Identify and apply information concerning opportunities for public participation in environmental protection;
* list sources of EU environmental law, identify a legal basis of an EU environmental directive and by applying relevant provisions of the EU Founding Treaties (TEU and TFEU);
* Identify the challenges connected with proper implementation and effective enforcement of the environmental law on international and EU level;
* Apply the knowledge from the course in solving a practical case study.
The environmental law course will also focus on development of several competences (competence-based learning outcomes):
1. creative thinking: problem solving,
2. civic engagement (public participation): analysing knowledge,
3. life long learning: taking initiative,
4. global learning: raising global self-awareness.
