CDDH-ENV(2021)R1 Addendum 30 April 2012

CDDH-ENV(2021)R1 Addendum 30 April 2012 STEERING COMMITTEE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS (CDDH) ______ DRAFTING GROUP ON HUMAN RIGHTS AND ENVIRONMENT (CDDH-ENV) ______ Draft Manual on Human Rights and the Environment 3rd Edition Principles emerging from the case-law of the European Court of Human Rights and from the conclusions and decisions of the European Committee on Social Rights Working document Prepared by the CDDH-ENV (30 April 11H55) ______ CDDH-ENV(2021)R1 Addendum TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS...................................................................... PRELIMINARY REMARKS ...................................................................... INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................... PART I – EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .......................................................... PART II – ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION PRINCIPLES ON ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION .................................................................................................................. SECTION A – INTRODUCTION - PRINCIPLES DERIVED FROM THE EUROPEAN CONVENTION ON HUMAN RIGHTS ................................................................................................... Chapter I: The environment and the right to life, and the right not to be subjected to inhuman and degrading treatmentRight to life, health, and the environment Chapter II: The environment and the right to respect for private and family life, and the homeRespect for private and family life, as well as the home, and the environment…… ...................................................................................................... Chapter III: The environment and the protection of propertyProtection of property and the environment .................................................................................. Chapter IV: Information and communication on environmental matters Chapter V: Decision-making processes in environmental matters and public participation in them….. .................................................................................... Chapter VI: Access to justice and other remedies in environmental matters…. Chapter VII: Principles from the Court’s case-law: Territorial sScope of the Convention’s aApplication .................................................................................. SECTION B – INTRODUCTION - PRINCIPLES DERIVED FROM THE EUROPEAN SOCIAL CHARTER AND THE REVISED EUROPEAN SOCIAL CHARTER .................................................... Chapter I: The environment the right to just conditions of work, and to safe and healthy working conditionsRight to just conditions of work, and to safe and healthy working conditions and the environment……… Chapter II: The environment and the right to protection of healthRight to protection of health and the environment .......................................................... Chapter III: The environment and the right to housingRight to housing and the environment……………………………………………………….. APPENDICES TO THE MANUAL ............................................................ APPENDIX I: GLOSSARY ........................................................................... APPENDIX II: JUDGMENTS AND DECISIONS OF THE EUROPEAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS RELEVANT TO THE ENVIRONMENT ............................................................................. APPENDIX III: CONCLUSIONS AND DECISIONS OF THE EUROPEAN COMMITTEE OF SOCIAL RIGHTS RELEVANT TO THE ENVIRONMENT ............................................................. APPENDIX IVII: REFERENCE TO OTHER INSTRUMENTS RELEVANT TO THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE COURT’S ECHR CASE-LAW AND IN THE COMMITTEE’S CONCLUSIONS AND DECISIONS APPENDIX V: COUNCIL OF EUROPE CONVENTIONS ON ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTIONS .................................................................................... APPENDIX IVI: GOOD PRACTICES ............................................................. 1.Embedding environmental rights in the national policy and legal framework 2 CDDH-ENV(2021)R1 Addendum 2.Establishing control over potentially harmful environmental activities… 3. Requiring environmental impact assessments (EIAs) ............. 4.SecEnsuring public participation and access to information on environmental matters.. 5.Making environmental rights judiciable and the environment a public concern.. 6.The [right to] environmental educationProviding education on environmental sustaina- bility…. 7. Practices aimed at better protecting environmentalists/whistle-blowers and civil society more generallyProtecting environmental activists and whistle-blowers APPENDIX VII: USEFUL WEBSITES............................................................ APPENDIX VIII: FURTHER READING .......................................................... APPENDIX VIIX: INDEX ............................................................................ 1. Key Words ................................................................................ 2. International Instruments .......................................................... 3. Case-Law ................................................................................. 3 CDDH-ENV(2021)R1 Addendum List of Abbreviations CDDH Steering Committee for Human Rights (Comité directeur pour les droits de l'Homme) CIS Commonwealth of Independent States CITIES Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora CoE Council of Europe DH-DEV Committee of Experts for the Development of Human Rights EC European Community ECJ European Court of Justice ECS Environmental Cross-cutting Strategy ECSR European Committee for Social Rights EEA European Environment Agency EEL European Environmental Law EIA Environmental Impact Assessment ETS European Treaty Series EU European Union FAO Food and Agricultural Organization GAOR General Assembly Official Records GC Grand Chamber HUDOC Human Rights Documentation (Online Database) ICJ International Court of Justice IEEP Institute for European Environmental Policy ILC International Law Commission IMPEL European Union Network for the Implementation and Enforcement of Environmental Law IPPC International Planet Protection Convention ITLOS International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea IUCN International Union for Conservation of Nature MRT Moldovan Republic of Transdniestria NGO Non-Governmental Organisation PACE Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe REC Regional Environmental Center for central and eastern Europe SEA Strategic Environmental Assessment UN United Nations UNCED United Nations Conference on Environment and Development UNECE United Nations Economic Commission for Europe UNEP United Nations Environment Programme UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization UNFCCC United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change WTO World Trade Organization 4 CDDH-ENV(2021)R1 Addendum Preliminary Rremarks WHAT IS THE AIM OF THIS MANUAL? The main aim of this manual is to increase the understanding of the relationship between the environment and the protection of human rights under the European Convention for the Protection ofon Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (“the Convention”) and the European Social Charter (“the Charter) and the environment as a relevant part of the international law on the matter and thereby to contribute to strengthening environmental protection at the national level. As human rights are universal, indivisible, interdependent and interrelated, thus including both civil and polit- ical rights on the one hand and social and economic rights on the other hand to illustrate this, To achieve this aim, the manual seeks to provide information about both the case-law of the European Court of Human Rights (“the Court”) as well as the conclusions and decisions of the European Committee of Social Rights (“the Committee”) in this field. In addition, it will highlight the impact of the European Social Charter and relevant interpretations of the European Social Charter (“the Charter”) by the European Committee of Social Rights (“the Committee”). WHO IS THE TARGET AUDIENCE OF THIS MANUAL? The manual is intended to be of practical use for public authorities (be they national, regional or local), decision-makers, legal professionals and the general public. IS THE ENVIRONMENT PROTECTED UNDER INTERNATIONAL LAW? The environment is protected by international law, despite the absence of a general framework convention. Mand multi-farious international treaties govern specific environmental issues, e.g.,like climate change, loss of or biodiversity, and pollutiondesertification. Because of these treaties and customary international law- Thus, various legal obligations to protect the environment are placed upon states, e.g., duties to inform, co- operate, or limit emissions. Additionally, International Humanitarian Law protects the natural environment against widespread, long-term and severe damage in armed conflict..1 This protection includes a prohibition of the use of methods or means of warfare which are intended or may be expected to cause such damage to the natural environment and thereby to prejudice the health or survival of the population. Additionally, IHL prohibits to employ methods or means of warfare which are intended, or may be expected, to cause widespread, long-term and severe damage to the natural environment.2 IS THE ENVIRONMENT PROTECTED UNDER THE EUROPEAN CONVENTION ON HUMAN RIGHTS AND THE EUROPEAN SOCIAL CHARTER? Neither the Convention nor the Charter are designed to provide a general

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